Pretty Poison
by Detective Olivia Stabler
Summary: When an undercover assignment gets out of hand Elliot & Olivia find themselves in a sticky situation. Can they figure out this mess they are not even sure how they got into?
1. 1 Nescience

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter One: Nescience)_

Olivia moaned a little in her sleep. She was having the most amazing sex dream. It was Elliot of course and his strong hands were all over her body. Touching her, caressing her and moving his fingers over every inch of her skin as his mouth followed. He moved slowly, but confidently and knew exactly what he was doing. His mouth met hers and their tongues crashed together as if in a choreographed performance.

He kissed and gently bit and sucked on the skin of her neck and shoulders causing her moans to grow louder and longer in anticipation of events to come. She tipped her head back as he bit down on the side of her neck. Then he kissed her again.

Her hands moved over his bare chest and his moved slowly and smoothly under her back removing her white lace bra in one steady slide of his hand. He dropped it to the floor as he began to kiss and suck on her breasts, moving his hands over them, needing them gently. She heard herself moan again as his mouth returned to hers and his hand met her face.

His kisses were strong and passionate and they alone provided amazing foreplay. Elliot kissed slowly down her body, between her breasts and over her flat stomach making his way down to the elastic of her lacy white boy short underwear. She looked down at him and smiled as their eyes met and he pulled them off and continued to please her. She moaned and grasped the headboard firmly with her fingers as she felt the warmth of his mouth between her thighs.

He moved around to kiss her side as he caressed his hands over her abdomen once more. He kissed a trail down her long leg until he had it bent and raised it holding her ankle and placed it over his shoulder. He raised up and entered her with one long, smooth thrust and she heard herself moan at his entry.

These dreams were always so real. It was as if she could actually feel him moving inside her with each thrust going deeper and deeper into her body and pushing her closer and closer to the edge. She moaned and gasped as she heard his noises of pleasure. He was enjoying this as much as she was.

She could feel the orgasm as it ripped through her body in waves causing her to almost scream out uncontrollably. Then he slowed, but did not stop. He lowered her leg back to the bed and rolled her over on her side as he kissed her neck and shoulders. He moved up against her placing his hand against her abdomen and entered her once more.

This time he was behind her and he was hard and fast. Olivia tipped her head allowing his mouth access to the sensitive skin of her neck as she reached her arm behind her and clawed her fingers over his shoulder in appreciation of his actions. She was moaning again and his moans echoed hers. Their gasps for air together and she could feel his warm breath against her hear.

Then there is was. Another Earth shaking orgasm. She grasped tightly to his arm as Elliot raised up over her to steady them. He continued his thrusts, deeper and faster and within moments he had pushed her over the edge once more. Olivia gasped and panted to catch her breath.

Elliot fell behind her in the bed. He laid gently against her, his arms tight around her as he kissed the side of her face and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. She felt her muscles melt from sheer exhaustion as she closed her eyes.

What seemed like only moments later she felt his mouth against hers once more and his tongue inside her mouth in another passionate kiss. His thumb against her cheek and his fingers in her hair.

He was on top of her this time, missionary position. Staring into her eyes as he made love to her. He moved his hands up her thighs to raise her legs around his waist and held them there as he thrust inside her. Within a few minutes she was calling out his name, her body shuttering through a strong orgasm.

He slowed, but she was not finished with him yet. She flipped him over and straddled his waist as she slid her body down onto him slowly. She began to grind against him riding his slowly as Elliot groaned and she moaned. She tipped her head back and rested her hands on his chest. Elliot sat up and moved his hands over her back. They quickly made their way back around to her chest finding her breasts and grasping one in each hand as his mouth moved over them again.

She moved her mouth in against his kissing him hard and passionate kisses as he put his hands under her hips pulling her into him and guiding her body movements until he found the right spot inside her. They were both moaning again and almost out of breath.

Olivia laid back against the bed as he moved in beside her sliding one hand across her abdomen and raising her on to her hands and knees on the bed. Elliot quickly moved in behind her and continued as he pulled her in against him and grasped her breasts in his hands again.

One more time Olivia heard her own voice moan out "Oh, El…Oh, God…yes, yes, yes."

Then she fell breathlessly against the mattress. As he laid beside her. Elliot moved in against her once more and stared into her eyes as he kissed her tenderly. He pulled her in against his body and they fell asleep together.

Olivia moaned softly as she stirred in bed. She rolled over on her stomach and her eyes fluttered open to stare at the clock on the night stand. It was just after six in the morning and that was the kind of dream you do not want to wake up from. The kind you wish you could just close your eyes and continue at any time. She smiled and sat up, scrunching her toes up in the carpet. As she noticed something odd across the room in the floor. Still half asleep she tipped her head to one side to try and focus on the object.

She stood up and walked over and knelt down picking it up from the floor. She opened her hand to stare at a Trojan condom wrapper in her palm. Olivia raised her head once more and looked at the window. Those were not her curtains, this was not her apartment. She was in a hotel room, God knows where and wearing someone else's shirt. She took a deep breath and held it as she turned around to find a nude Elliot wrapped only from the waist down in a sheet.

She pressed her lips together as her heart began to pound in her chest and she looked around the room. Scattered across the room starting at the door and leading a trail to the bed were their clothes. Everything, that is except for his white button up shirt that she was now wearing.


	2. 2 Confusion

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Two: Confusion)_

Olivia stood at the foot of the bed looking at Elliot. She felt a little dazed for a moment and her head was pounding. She raised her fingers to scratch her head. How the Hell had this happened?

She thought back to the night before and tried to remember anything that may have lead them here, but the events were foggy. Everything that had happened after they had arrived at the hotel lounge had become one big haze of confusion and big pieces of events were just completely missing.

Olivia began breathing deeply as she moved around the room in search of her clothing. A stocking here and bra over there. Why could she not remember this? Even the actual sex dream…or whatever it was, was starting to disappear from her memory. Something was seriously wrong here. She picked up her clothing one article at a time finding everything except her panties then headed for the bathroom to get dressed.

She stared into the mirror at herself half ashamed and half just plane confused at what was going on around her. She clasped her bra behind her back and stepped back into the cocktail dress she had wore to meet Elliot in the lounge the previous evening. She turned on the faucet and cupped her hand under the cold water and rinsed out her mouth. She hadn't intended on staying and didn't have a tooth brush with her. She took a deep breath and stood up straight as she combed her fingers through her tangled hair and tucked each strand back into place.

Olivia opened the bathroom door hoping to escape the hotel room and have a chance to think and figure things out before she was confronted by Elliot. Too late. He sat on the edge of the bed wearing only his boxer shorts and stared doe eyed at her. Apparently she was not the woman he had expected to emerge from his bathroom at six fifteen in the morning after a night of endless, incredible sex.

Just looking at him made her stomach churn nervously for what they had done. Olivia said nothing but picked up her purse off the dresser and headed toward the door.

"Liv?" He called to her breaking the screaming silence between them.

"Yeah?"

"What the hell happened last night?"

She stood there with her back to him staring at the wall and trying to hold herself together.

"I don't know," she said without turning around.

Elliot stood up and walked toward her placing his hand on hers to pull her toward the bed to sit and talk to him. His fingers on her skin felt as if they would burn through her. She turned slowly and looked at him as she sat down beside him.

She raised her hand to her forehead again. "I can't remember much. What I do remember is all hazy like a dream. I have no idea how I even got into this hotel room."

"Were you dressed?"

"What?" She looked at him half confused unable to think and follow his conversation at the same time.

"When you woke up….were you dressed?"

She looked into his eyes and shook her head.

Elliot looked around the room and noticed the condom wrapper on the night stand where she had sat it before heading to the bathroom to get dressed.

"We had sex?" He stared at her with wild eyes. He didn't remember it either.

"Yes," she said fidgeting nervously with her shoe.

Elliot stood up and exhaled as he rubbed his hands over his face. "Why can't I remember?"

"I don't know," she said trying not to show him how scared she really was.

Elliot looked back at her in her white lace mini dress. She was stunning. Even the next morning. He had had a thing for Olivia for quite some time. She had become the subject of many of his fantasies. Surely he would remember if they had sex together.

Elliot walked around to the other side of the bed and searched through the nightstand drawers in search of something that might tell them why they were here. Olivia sat still on the bed and followed him with her eyes as he buzzed around the room. "Maybe we didn't actually do anything," he said looking at her nervously.

"Yes, we did Elliot."

"You remember?"

"No, I can just tell." She placed her hands over her abdomen feeling a little sore from their performance the night before.

"Olivia, did I hurt you?"

"No. I'm fine. It had just been a while and I think we did that more than once."

"I'd say at least four times."

"Why do you say that?"

"I found the evidence," he said tilting the bedside trash can to reveal four used condoms.

"Oh, God," she said softly.

"Well, at least it was safe sex."

"That isn't funny, Elliot."

"I'm sorry, I'm a little nervous. I don't do this."

"Neither do I."

"I know, Liv. I didn't mean it like that. I just, I kind of don't know what to say to you to fix this. I have no idea how we got here. We wake up in bed together naked. And apparently had four really good sexual sessions neither of us can remember. I don't know about you but this is definitely a first in my book."

"I thought you didn't remember the sex?"

"I don't."

"Then how do you know it was good?"

"Because Olivia, I didn't put these claw marks up my own back."

She was so humiliated she turned four shades of red and buried her face in her hands. "Oh, my God!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I am not trying to be a jerk here. I just honestly do not remember a damn thing that happened last night after we met up at the lounge. Do you?"

"I remember talking to Cragen about this case. He explained the undercover assignment. Somehow couples in the hotel are being robbed while they are in their rooms asleep."

Elliot looked down at the rings on each of their left fingers.

"We are supposed to be married. Guests at the hotel. Did you check your things? Is everything there?"

"Well, my purse was dumped and everything in it scattered across the dresser. But I just figured you did that searching for a condom. But I don't carry them."

"Then where did they come from?"

"You didn't have them?"

"Olivia, I just got divorced. I haven't been laid in over six months. Why would I carry condoms?"

She just stared at him.

He realized how insensitive that had sounded. "I'm sorry. God my head is pounding."

"I know, I feel really hung over. I didn't think I had that much to drink last night. I had like two glasses of wine all night."

"I had one beer. Liv, something really strange is going on here."

Olivia looked up at him as he stared down between their feet. She shifted her eyes to see what he was looking at. Under the bundle of blankets hanging off into the floor laid a small white piece of fabric. Elliot reached down and picked it up. "It's lace," he said looking confused.

He tossed the blankets back and knelt to the floor to look under the bed as Olivia held her knees tight together to prevent him from seeing anything under her skirt. Elliot reached under the bed pulling out her lace panties, that had very obviously been torn off. Olivia shifted uncomfortably as she realized what he held in his hand.

"These are yours?" He asked.

She stared at them and nodded.

"Olivia, are you sure I didn't hurt you?"

The look in his eyes was terrified. What the hell had happened last night?

"Elliot, you would never hurt me." She shook her head. "I know that. If we had sex, I know it was consensual. You wouldn't have…." she pointed at the underwear in his hand looking so confused.

"I don't think I would have. But Liv, we didn't think we would end up in bed together last night either. But we did. We have got to figure out what the hell happened last night."

"How are we going to do that?"

"If we were undercover, then Cragen had to have a team on us right? Let's ask him."

"And exactly how are we going to do that without telling him what happened last night?"

"Olivia, we still don't fully know what happened last night. So there is nothing to tell. Come on." Elliot stood up and started putting his clothes on.

"Where are we going?"

"To Warner for blood work. And I'll bet something turns up in our tox screens."

"You think we were drugged?"

"How else do you explain it. We don't remember anything between sitting down at the bar and waking up naked in bed together. We both have about eight hours of last night just erased from our memory, including sex we don't remember. Neither of us drank much at all, but we both woke up dazed and hung over. I don't know what else it would be."

She exhaled deeply and looked worried.

"We are going to get to the bottom of this," Elliot said looking into her eyes.

"Can you take me by my apartment to get cleaned up first? I look like a ten dollar hooker and have no underwear on because someone ripped them apart last night."

"Liv….I was thinking. Maybe you should have them run a rape kit."

"What? Why?"

"How can we be sure I was the only one here last night. I mean, just to be on the safe side, you know. If we find out something later it will be too late, there wont be any evidence. If someone drugged us last night, God only knows what they may have done."

"Do you really think they would have left the condoms in the trash can, Elliot?"

"Olivia, I don't know that anything did happen. I am just thinking we should rule it out. And you are right about the condoms. We should probably take them for DNA evidence."

"Elliot?"

"It is that or call this in as a crime scene. You go to an ER across town and have the examine. You can give them a false name. At least we will know. If something turns up then we know where to start looking. I can turn these in and just have them tell me if the DNA on all of them is a match from the same guy. Tell them it is from a case. I just need to know if it is a match, not run it."

"You are starting to sound like John Munch with his conspiracy theories. Isn't it a lot more plausible that we had a few too many drinks and did this on our own? Elliot a lot of people have one night stands under the influence of alcohol. They black out and don't remember anything that happened."

"You are right. That is a lot more likely. Except that neither of us was drunk. Liv, I am just asking to check into it. Rule it out. If a drunken one night stand is all this turns out to be I for one will be relieved. But if it isn't, then we only have a limited amount of time before this crime scene is cleaned by the maid."

Elliot walked over to the telephone and picked up the receiver.

"El, what are you doing?"

"Checking out the room another night. We'll put up the do not disturb sign and hope no one enters the room until we find something out."

She sat on the bed and placed her hand under her chin as she watched him.

What if he was right? What reason would anyone have for drugging them both? And if there was someone else in the room with them last night, why couldn't she remember seeing them in her little "dreams."

She sat on the bed with a worried look across her face.

"Hey," he said reaching for her hand. "Are you sure you are okay?"

She looked into his eyes and he could see tears building in hers.

"I'm scared, El."

Elliot laced his fingers in hers. "We're going to figure this out, okay? I am sure you are right. I am probably just over reacting. And it was probably nothing. I just want to be sure."

She nodded her head in agreement.


	3. 3 Waiting

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Three: Waiting)_

Elliot sat on the sofa in Olivia's apartment clicking mindlessly thought the channels on the television as he waited for her to get out of the shower. They had stopped by an emergency room across town on the way back here and had a rape kit run. They had revealed to Elliot and Olivia that what trauma they did find was probably just a result of the combination of repeated rough sex they had encountered the night before and the fact that she hadn't had sex in a while. The doctors didn't seem to think she had been raped but took the kit to the lab and were supposed to call Elliot as soon as they had results.

Olivia had seemed all calm and collected up to this point. But she had been in the shower for over and hour now and he was beginning to worry about her. If she hadn't felt attacked before then after sitting through that examine while they poked her and invaded what little dignity you could have wearing only a paper gown with you ankles up in stirrups, then she probably did now.

But she had been a trooper. Elliot had sat beside her holding her hand and looking into her eyes as they did the physical part of the examine. Then of course they had to ask her a series of questions without his presence. This made him nervous, but she had seemed to be okay in the car on the way back here. Elliot looked down at his watch. It had now been well over an hour and he couldn't take it any longer.

He turned off the television and went down the hall to check on her. He tapped lightly on the bathroom door and opened it just a bit to speak to her without looking inside. As he did a thick white wall of steam bellowed out of the bathroom.

"Olivia? Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," she said and he could tell she had been crying.

"Sweetheart, it has been over an hour. Why don't you come out here and I will fix you some hot tea."

"I just need a minute, El."

"Okay, but do me a favor and turn the water off."

He heard the shower stop and things got quiet for a few seconds. Then Olivia opened the door wearing a white bathrobe.

"Really, I am fine. My head is just killing me and I'm trying to think things through."

"I called Melinda, she is just going to come over here and take the blood samples. We don't have to tell her anything except that we need to know if we have anything in our systems."

Elliot brushed a strand of her wet hair back from her eyes.

"Okay."

"I just thought maybe that would be more comfortable for you then having to go back out and meet her."

Olivia smiled a shy smile.

"Thanks, El."

She crossed her arms in front of her tight and he watched as her bottom lip quivered just a bit.

"Olivia, I am sorry."

"This wasn't all your fault. I was there, too."

"Yes, but no matter what happened….I was supposed to protect you. I didn't. And if anything happened to you I swear I will never forgive myself."

"I am pretty sure I am fine. We got a little rough and I am sore, but I am fine. Elliot, I know you would never do anything I didn't allow you to do."

Just then there was a buzz from the front door of the apartment building.

"That will be Melinda," Elliot said pointing toward the apartment door.

"I'm gonna get dressed so she doesn't figure out any more than she has to know. I will be out in a minute."

"Okay."

Elliot and Melinda were sitting in the living room making small talk when Olivia came back into the room and sat on the couch. Melinda quickly took their blood samples and headed back to the lab to get them processed.

Olivia sat on the couch with her knees pulled up near her chest staring blankly at the television. She didn't say a word, but Elliot knew what she was thinking about.

He sat down beside her ad handed her a cup of hot tea.

"Thank you," she said softly not looking at him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know if I can, Elliot."

She turned to look at him as a tear fell from her cheek. "I know that we probably did this on our own, El. And no one is responsible but you and I. And I know that I am just as much responsible as you are. It just scared me that neither of us know for sure what happened last night. And I cannot help but feel a little violated, by the fact that there may or may not have been someone else in that room last night. And if there was, then maybe that is our only chance at finding out what really happened to us last night."

Elliot reached up and brushed her cheek with his fingers pushing some hair back from her face.

Olivia yawned.

"I am so tired, but I don't think I can sleep. Every time I close my eyes my thoughts are flooded with the possibilities of what could have happened last night. Elliot, I wasn't completely truthful with you about everything I remembered. I have these little flashes. Sex stuff, you and me. I just thought it was a dream, everything is all fuzzy. I honestly thought I had dreamed the entire thing until I got out of bed and realized I was in a hotel room and saw the condom wrapper. Then I realized that we had….I wasn't dreaming Elliot."

"Do you remember seeing or hearing anyone else in the room?"

"No, but like I said it was all fuzzy and just little flashes of stuff. Part of me is afraid to sleep."

"Why?"

He watched her as a tear rolled down her nose. "I guess I am afraid I will remember. I want to know. But I am so scared of what the truth might be…."

"Come here," Elliot said wrapping his arms around her and sitting her coffee mug on the table beside the couch.

He leaned back and let her rest against him with one arm loosely draped around her waist.

Olivia looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"You know we are going to be okay, right?" Elliot said softly as he covered her with a blanket from the back of the couch to try to comfort her.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Olivia nestled her face in against his shirt and he just held her for a minute.

"Get some rest, Liv. I am here and I am not going to let anyone hurt you."

She laid there still only for a moment before her heavy eyes fell shut and she was asleep in his arms.

Elliot laid there for a little while watching her sleep. All of the worst possibilities kept running through his mind. He was pretty sure they had slept together, but what if that was not all that happened? What if someone had drugged them to hurt them or rob them? Or worse what if someone had drugged them both and raped her while he was in the room?


	4. 4 Questions & Answers

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Four: Questions & Answers)_

Elliot was asleep when he felt her twitch in his arms. He opened his eyes as Olivia jerked again and whimpered a little. He raised his hand and placed it on the side of her cheek as he gently kissed her forehead.

"I don't want to do this. I don't even know you," she mumbled softly as Elliot shifted to try to wake her.

She was dreaming, possibly a bad dream. Remembering something and he was not sure he wanted to hear anymore. She whined again and Elliot placed his hand softly under her chin as he whispered her name.

"Liv, wake up."

She shifted and stirred a little, but didn't open her eyes.

"Olivia….Liv, you are dreaming honey. Wake up."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her gently careful not to hurt her or scare her. He watched her as her eyes opened slowly and looked into his.

"Liv, are you okay? You were dreaming. It was just a dream."

Her breathing was rapid and she stared at him as her eyes widened and tears rose behind them.

"Liv?"

"Elliot," she whispered softly. "There was someone else in that room."

"Did he hurt you?"

A tear rolled from her cheek and fell beside them on the sofa.

"I don't think so. But I could feel him touching me, kissing me." She sat up on the sofa as Elliot sat up beside her. "God, it was so real," she said as she combed her fingers through her hair.

Elliot rubbed her back for a few minutes then went into the kitchen to bring her some water. He sat beside her on the sofa and handed her the glass.

"I keep seeing all of these things, but none of it makes sense. It is all foggy and I'm not sure what is real and what I imagined. There was a man there, I saw him. But I remember it two different ways. He was touching me and kissing me and we followed him to that room. Then I was on the bed with him and he was kissing me and touching me and I told him to stop." She looked up at Elliot who was now holding her hand in his. "But I also remember some things with you. He was watching us, Elliot. I turned my head and opened my eyes and he was sitting in a chair across the room watching us have sex."

Elliot looked at her and brushed some tears from her cheek.

"How did this happen?" She cried as he pulled her against him and hugged her.

"I'm not sure. But we should get some of these test results back in the next day or so and we will know a lot more then. Liv, are you sure this man didn't hurt you?"

"I am pretty sure."

"Do you think you could describe him for a sketch artist?"

"I think so."

Elliot stood up from the sofa and walked toward the hall way.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna get cleaned up. We need to head back to work and go over these files again. And we are going to have to say something about this, Liv. Maybe not the sex part or waking up naked together, but we are not going to figure this out without help. Munch and Fin have been working this case for almost two months now. There has got to be something in that file that can help us. I also think we should go and talk to some of the victims of the robbers, some of the couples. Maybe they remember something that will help us to remember."

At work Olivia sat quietly at her desk drinking strong black coffee. She could hear the people around her talking, but the sounds of their voices was just noise. She couldn't make out what was even being said.

Elliot was talking to Fin about their case. He had gone as far as to tell them that they had woke up together in the hotel room and were pretty sure they had been drugged. He just happened to leave out the naked sex with Olivia part. The more he talked about what had happened to Fin the more they both believed that the very guy they were trying to catch was the one who had worked them over that night in the hotel room.

"It sounds like my guy, El. But my gut says no."

"Why is that?"

"Well, you said that everything had been tossed, but nothing was missing. And my guy drugs the husband and wife and while they are out or impaired by the drug, he rapes the women. Liv says the guy touched her and kissed her but nothing else happened."

"Maybe nothing happened because I was there with her."

"No Elliot, that is part of his MO. He rapes the wife while the husband lays there and watches unable to do anything to help her. He wouldn't have stopped because you were there. Maybe Liv should get checked out."

"She already did. We both did. Rape kit and blood work before we when home that morning, just in case. The doctor said he is pretty sure nothing happened. But we'll know for sure when they call me today with the results of the rape kit."

"Is she alright?" Fin asked nodding his head in Olivia's direction.

Elliot took a deep breath and turned to look at her. It was obvious this was bothering her.

"She was violated, Fin. Whether he raped her or not, he took advantage of her. And I just sat there and let him do it."

"There aint nothing you could have done man. That is the way this guy works."

"I thought you said you didn't think it was your guy?"

"I don't know what to think. But whoever he is, he'd better pray I never get a hold of him."

"She is scared. She doesn't know what to think."

"Well, we have a sketch artist coming up from downstairs to get a composite. We show that to our other victims, maybe we can get an ID on this guy. I just don't know why he would change his MO after all this time. We are no where near him, El. Maybe he couldn't get it up."

"Come on Fin, it was Olivia in a revealing cocktail dress. I don't think that was the problem. Maybe something spooked him."

"Maybe he made her for a cop."

"I don't know how that would have happened. We used our undercover names, we had our new ID. We even wore our wedding rings. How could he have made us?"

"I don't know Elliot, but if this was my guy it might be better that he did. I have seen what he does to these women. He rapes them, beats them, he has cut some of them up and one woman died. He really works them over bad. I don't think I couldn't live with myself if anything like that ever happened to Olivia."

"I don't think any of us could. As of now we are not completely sure something didn't happen. But I am hoping and praying that if this guy does all of this damage to his victims, maybe that means that for some reason he didn't rape her. Right now, all we can do is wait for the results."

The sketch artist came and worked with Olivia to make a composite of the man she saw inside the hotel room. Fin and Munch took the drawing to talk to some of the other victims and see if it was the same guy.

Elliot sat at his desk with a pile of papers, files and notes from the case surrounding him. Olivia was quiet and except for her interview with the sketch artist, hadn't spoken three words since they had come in to work that morning. Elliot was worried about her and was careful not to let her out of his site.

Just then Olivia's cell phone rang. She looked down at the number and opened the phone as she stood up and walked out of the room, down the hall and into the ladies room. Ten minutes later she still had not returned, so Elliot went to check on her.

Elliot knocked on the door as he pushed it slowly open.

"Olivia?" He said softly.

He could hear her move inside a stall in the back, but she didn't answer him. He made his way to the stall and tapped lightly on the door it opened just a little. She was sitting in the floor crying and the phone was laying beside her in the floor, still opened from the call.

Elliot dropped to the floor beside her and pulled her in against him. He held her for a minute and just let her cry. He wanted so badly to make everything better for her, but he had no idea how. He was terrified at what the news in that call could have possibly been.

Olivia gasped short, shallow breaths against him for a moment then sat up to look at him. Elliot reached up and brushed tears from both of her cheeks.

"That was the lab," she said softly as she stared into his eyes for a moment. "I wasn't raped, Elliot."

"Thank God."

"And the all of the DNA from the condoms was from the same two people. You and I." She was quiet for a moment and looked at the floor. "But I know he was there. I know I saw him. I wasn't dreaming that."

"I know. They have CSI processing the hotel room now. But with it being a hotel, there could be any number of hairs and fibers in that room from other guests and employees. I don't know if that is going to help any." Elliot reached over holding her hand in his. He looked into her eyes as she stared into his. "I am so glad that you are okay."

"I will be fine, Elliot. It is just all starting to get to me, I guess. I have no idea what happened in that hotel room that night. All I know is that I wasn't raped, but I did wake up in bed with my best friend after we apparently spent an evening neither of us can fully remember having sex in front of a total stranger. A stranger who has raped and maimed four women and murdered another. We were there to try and stop him Elliot. How could this have gotten so far out of hand?"

"I got a call from Melinda a few minutes ago. Our blood samples both came back positive for a drug called Rohypnol. It is commonly associated with date rape. The drug makes you groggy and easy to influence and control. Sometimes it knocks you out completely. You wake up feeling hung over, sometimes nauseated and lose track of time and don't always remember things that may have happened."

"So we were drugged. Why? To rob us?"

"I think that was the intention. Rob us and rape you. You said you remembered him kissing you and touching you."

"He was laying with me on the bed, Elliot. Kissing me and touching me. He pushed his hand up my skirt and I asked him to stop. But he was on top of me and I couldn't get up. He was heavy and I felt weak. He kissed my neck and I pushed against him and told him to stop. Then he just did. The next thing I remember we were kissing. And then sex. I can only remember it a little at a time and so many things are mixed up. I remember opening my eyes while we were together in bed and he was watching us. But when I woke up, no one was there."

Elliot leaned against the wall of the bathroom stall and wrapped his arm around her as she leaned against him.

"I don't know why he stopped, but I thank God he did." He looked into her eyes as she exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

"So am I," she said softly.

Elliot kissed the top of her head.

"We will figure this out, Liv. Are we okay?"

"I think so," she said softly. "I guess if this was going to happen with anyone, at least it was someone I know and trust."

"Yeah. But that doesn't make it any easier for you to talk to me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about whatever this is that you don't want to tell me, Liv. I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. You know you can tell me anything."

"I know," she said softly. "It's nothing really. I guess I am just a little ashamed and humiliated that this could happen at all. Worse than that I can't remember half of it. The only parts I do remember are kind of graphic."

Elliot laughed.

"At least you remember something."

"Sometimes I think I would rather forget."

Elliot looked at her.

"We are just not supposed to be that way, Elliot. And I would never want to be anyway if there was even the slightest chance that it could mess this up. I need you, El."

"You have me, Liv."

She smiled at him. It was the first time he had really seen her smile since this had happened and he was relieved to see it. Elliot stood up and extended his hand to help her up as well. He looked into her eyes and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as they turned and walked back to the squad room.


	5. 5 No News & Good News

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Five: No News & Good News)_

It had been almost three months since they had gotten any new information on their case. Things had pretty much gone cold. And with little to nothing to go on Elliot and Olivia were forced to put the events that took place that evening behind them and try to move forward.

This task proved to be harder for Olivia than she had hoped as she sat on the sofa in her apartment holding a little white plastic stick. Tears of uncertainty began to stream down her face as the word "pregnant" appeared in the little window. She took a deep breath and stared out the window into the rain. How could she have possibly thought they could put this all behind them and not be effected in some way.

She wiped a tear from her cheek and took a deep breath as her phone rang. She opened the phone and placed it to her ear. The sound of his voice was all it took to bring a smile to her face. She was afraid, terrified of what her future could hold. She was in no way prepared for a baby. But listening to the smooth confidence of Elliot's voice, she knew that somehow everything would be alright.

"Hey Liv, I saw I missed your call."

"Yeah, it's no big deal. I just kind of needed someone to talk to."

"Is everything okay?"

"It's okay, El. I'm just kind of having a tough time getting past this, I guess."

"It takes a little while. But things _will_ get better, Olivia."

She closed her eyes as he said her name. She had waited for so long, wanting him to touch her they way he had that night. Knowing how wrong it was for her to want him at all. But now, sitting here talking to him with the little test strip in her hand, Olivia realized that she would never be alone again.

When their conversation had began, she was not sure what she would do. Abortion was not an option. Adoption, possibly. But how could she just give away her baby? Their baby. Elliot's baby. Her best friend and the only man in the world she had ever really allowed herself to fully love. And even if it was only for one night, under the circumstances they were, he had loved her too. And from their union, this child was created.

Olivia pressed her lips together and tried to think of a way to tell him. But there was nothing. She placed her hand against her flat stomach as she took a staggered breath. The truth was, it didn't so much matter what Elliot said because she was going to keep this child. Their baby, their son or daughter. Even if she had to face this alone. She knew in her heart that Elliot would want to be this baby's father. To love it and protect it and she knew she couldn't have chosen a better father for her child. No baby would ever be more loved than this one. Yet, a part of her was still afraid to tell him. And she knew she couldn't do it over the phone.

"I was thinking maybe we could get together tonight. Just talk," she felt her heart pounding waiting for a reply.

She felt as if he could somehow tell. Like somehow her voice was different because for the last ten minutes she had known for sure that she was going to be a mother. Olivia felt a knot in her stomach and for the first time in since she had realized she was pregnant, she felt nauseated as she waited nervously for his reply.

"Of course," Elliot said and she could tell he was smiling. "Why don't you let me buy you a drink?"

"I don't know, Elliot. I'm not really in the mood to go to the bar."

"Dinner then. I'm buying."

"El…"

"I wont take no for an answer, Olivia."

"Okay," she said softly as she felt herself smile in reaction to him. He was the sweetest man she had ever met. And she prayed that having this baby wouldn't somehow come between them.

"But Elliot, I have something I need to talk to you about. In private, not in a restaurant."

"You remembered something?"

"Kind of," she said closing her eyes again to remember the look in his eyes as he was making love to her. "It's just important."

"I won't let you forget."

"Oh, I doubt I will forget," she mumbled softly.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said with another smile as her hand found its way to her stomach once more. "I will talk to you tonight."

"Okay, I will pick you up around seven."

"Okay."

"Olivia?"

"Yes?"

"Wear something dressy."

She laughed. "Okay."

"Bye, Liv."

"Goodbye, Elliot."

She hung up the phone and looked down at her abdomen. "That was your daddy," she said softly with a smile and a small laugh. Part of her still could not believe she was going to be a mother.

Four hours later Elliot knocked on Olivia's apartment door.

"Hey you," he said with a smile as she opened it and stared at him.

"Hi. Just let me grab my purse."

Elliot nodded as she turned and picked up her purse from the sofa pulling it over her shoulder. She looked amazing. Yet somehow, she seemed different. She seemed quiet and almost shy around him tonight.

Elliot held the door open for her as she climbed inside the car and he closed it behind her.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going?" She asked smiling at him from the passenger's seat.

"Nope," he replied shaking his head. "You are at my mercy."

Olivia smiled again as he started the car. They drove for several blocks then pulled up in the parking lot of her favorite restaurant. It also happened to be a rather expensive restaurant.

"Elliot, this is too much."

"No. I think it is just what you need. A night out, in your favorite place to help take your mind off things. Tonight is just about fun, Liv. Relaxing together and time together as best friends. When was the last time you and I did something just for us?"

"I don't know."

"Exactly. Tonight I am treating my best friend to a nice meal with a little wine and if you are really nice, maybe a little dancing."

Olivia smiled again. Why was it Elliot knew how to be exactly what she needed in a man, but no one she had ever dated could figure it out? She wasn't that picky. She just wanted someone who was honest and treated her good and was an all around good guy. It didn't sound so complicated to her.

She tipped her head to stare at Elliot across the table. He was the perfect man. In her opinion anyway. Trust worthy, reliable, an amazing father to his children, he was smart and attractive. He always seemed to know what to do and say to make her feel safe and loved. And after being raised the way she was, she had realized just how important those things were in life. Elliot was the only one person who truly knew her inside and out. He was her partner and friend and family. And until today the only one person she was sure she could not live with out. And now there were two.

Olivia turned her head looking down at her menu, as Elliot looked across the table at her. He hadn't told her, but he himself had began to remember a few things about that night as well. Like the way she smelled and the taste of her kiss. The look in her eyes as they stared deep into his soul while they made love. And the way she felt in his arms.

They had fallen asleep together hours before, after making love. Elliot opened his eyes and moved his arm across her waist and kissed her neck. She rolled over and looked up into his eyes and he kissed her once more. That kiss was the most passionate kiss of his life. She moved her hands over his shoulders as she stared into his eyes and before he knew it, they were making love again.

He had always had a thing for Olivia. Some sort of crush or something. But it was more than that. He loved her. Probably more than he should. She was his friend and family, yet he had always been so very much attracted to her. Elliot wasn't sure how any man wouldn't be. She was incredibly beautiful, sexy as hell, smart and had a heart of gold. But she was also his entire world. Her smiles, to him were like air. It hurt him not to see her happy. And these last few weeks with her in this other place she had fallen into since this mess had happened, were Hell on him as well. That was his real reason for bringing her here today. To try to make her happy, to try to make her smile. But as he watched her across the table, it seemed almost as if she were in another world. Somewhere far away. Somewhere he couldn't reach.

Elliot took a deep breath as the waiter approached their table and took their order. He had attempted to order a bottle of her favorite red wine, but tonight she didn't even want that. Elliot was really starting to worry about her. She had been so withdrawn lately. Closed off from the rest of them. And he wondered if maybe there she had remembered more than she was telling him.

He took another bite of his steak and looked up at her. She was stirring her food around with her fork and hadn't taken three bites of her favorite meal.

"Liv, what's going on with you?"

She looked up at him and smiled.

"Nothing. I'm just tired."

"Ahh, okay."

Elliot leaned across the table and brushed his fingers against her hand.

"I really wish you would talk to me," he said looking into her eyes.

"I want to talk to you. I need to talk to you. I just don't want to do it here," she whispered.

Elliot cupped his hand against the side of her face. "Are you sure you are okay? I worry about you. You haven't been yourself lately."

Olivia slipped her hand below the fancy table cloth resting it on her belly. "I'm fine Elliot," she said staring into his eyes.

"Yeah, I hear that a lot."

"It happens to be the truth."

"I hope so."

Olivia laughed. "You worry too much," she said taking a drink of her iced tea.

"You're my best friend, Liv. It comes with the territory."

Later back in her apartment Olivia was sitting on her sofa as Elliot fixed them both a drink.

"What was it you wanted to talk about, Liv?"

"Oh, umm. I'll tell you in a minute," she said smiling at him. "When you're sitting down," she mumbled.

Olivia took a deep breath and Elliot walked over and sat down beside her.

"Talk to me," he said having no idea how heavy the conversation was about to get.

"Elliot… I…" she paused and looked down at the glass in her hand.

"You what, Liv?" Elliot reached out and placed his hand on hers as she began to cry.

Olivia took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. "I am pregnant," she whispered as her bottom lip quivered nervously.

"Pregnant?"

She nodded her head and just stared at him.

"Well, congratulations," he said with a smile.

"Elliot, it's yours. From that night. That was the only time that I…."

"Really?"

She nodded her head again as she found it hard to breathe.

Elliot was quiet for a moment and his face was blank. Olivia felt her stomach churn and thought for a minute she would throw up right there. She watched him as a smiled slowly spread across his face.

"A baby?"

"Yes."

"I just…I didn't think it could be…. Well, I mean we used condoms." She watched as he stuttered and tried to figure this out.

"Yeah, I know. Apparently one of them didn't work. Elliot, I'm sorry."

"I'm not."

"You're not?"

"Not sorry about the baby, Olivia, no. How could I ever be sorry that I am going to be a father? I'm sorry for the way that things happened. I am sorry that it wasn't some romantic weekend and we both enjoyed and remembered every second of it. Instead, neither of us are really sure exactly what happened and all we have are little flashes of what happened instead of memories. That part, I am sorry about."

"You're not upset?"

"No! Olivia, as far as I am concerned this is good news."

"Really?"

"Yes. We are going to have a baby together." Elliot smoothed his thumb over her cheek and she smiled at him.

"You're really not mad?"

Elliot turned her around and pulled her in against his chest and held her.

"No, I'm excited. Think of how great this kid is going to be?"

"And you are okay with the fact that I want to keep it?"

"I was really hoping that you would. How do you feel about it?"

"I'm nervous, I guess. I have not really had much time to think about it. I had just found out for sure right before I called you earlier. But after I called you I decided this was not the kind of news I wanted to tell you over the phone. I have been nervous about telling you all evening."

"Why would you be nervous?"

"I'm not sure. I guess because you already have five kids, what if you didn't want another one?"

"Liv, it isn't that I didn't _want _another child. I just didn't think I would have any more. But I want this baby, Liv. And I want to help you raise it, I want to be a part of my child's life."

"Good. Because I really want you there."

Things were quiet for a moment between them, then Elliot smiled.

"We are going to have a baby," he mumbled coming into realization as he moved his hand over her belly.

Elliot kissed her forehead and hugged her. Olivia leaned back against him with her head on his chest as they thought about what their child would be like.


	6. 6 Where Do We Go From Here?

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Six: Where Do We Go From Here?)_

**Six Weeks Later:**

Elliot sat with Olivia in the waiting room watching her as she stared across the room at a mother with an infant. The woman held the baby who couldn't have possibly been more than about five months old as he stared back as Olivia and smiled at her. She grinned and waved at the baby as she instinctively placed her hand over her own small baby bump.

"You see that?" Elliot asked leaning in next to her. "You're a natural."

She turned and smiled at him. "It is still kind of hard to believe," she said softly.

"Yeah, in a few more months we will have one of those." He replied.

"You want a boy?"

"Or a girl, with your pretty brown eyes. I just want him _or_ her to be healthy."

Olivia smiled as her the nurse called them back.

She laid back across the table as the doctor entered the room.

"How have you been feeling, Olivia?"

"Okay," she said softly.

"Any nausea or strange cravings yet?"

Olivia laughed, "not yet."

"You're one of the lucky ones. Most women have been sick as a dog for at least six weeks by this point in the pregnancy."

The doctor raised her shirt and measured her belly, then felt around on it for a few minutes.

"Have you felt any kicking yet?"

"No, not yet," she sighed.

"You should start feeling it any time. Now lets take a look here." He squirted a clear gel across the raised area of her abdomen and placed the wand of the ultrasound machine against it. He reached over to turn on the speakers and they could immediately hear the whomp, whomp, whomp sound of the baby's heart beating.

Olivia smiled and reached out for Elliot's hand. She laughed in amazement as she stared at the screen trying to figure out what part of the grey and black mass on the screen was her unborn child.

"Wow, is the heart supposed to be that fast?" She asked looking at the doctor.

"Oh yes, a fetal heart beat is very rapid. Much faster than an adults heartbeat. The average adult has a heart rate of sixty to eighty beats per minute, on average. A small child has a heart rate of around ninety beats per minute. The fetal heart rate usually runs around one seventy five early in the pregnancy and averages around one twenty to one sixty toward the middle of the pregnancy. Your baby is averaging about one hundred fifty three beats per minute. That is really good."

Olivia was fascinated. Elliot watched her as her eyes lit up each time she learned something new about the pregnancy. He had been through this five times already and knew some of these things already. But it was all new to her and Elliot wanted to make sure that she was able to get the full effect of this magical experience.

"So what exactly are we looking at here?" She asked raising up and propping herself on her elbows to look at the screen again.

"This oval shape here is the baby's body and here is the head. Right here are the arms and the hands, then over here are the legs and feet."

Olivia tilted her head as she stared at the screen waiting for the baby to appear.

"I have an idea," the doctor said wheeling his chair across the room and pushing back another large machine plugging it in and turning it on. "If you have a few minutes to allow it to boot up, we just got our 4-D ultrasound machine."

"I have read about these," Elliot said pointing at the machine. "They are supposed to be amazing."

The doctor pushed the button to print the picture from the first ultrasound. A few minutes later he placed the wand from the 4-D machine onto her belly. The difference was as clear as night and day. Almost immediately the image of their baby appeared on the screen.

"That is so neat," Olivia said as the baby raised its hands and rubbed its eyes.

"Wow," Elliot said staring at the baby on the screen.

"The baby is about six or seven inches long right now and weighs about five ounces. The eyelashes have developed and the baby can suck it's thumb. We can also tell the baby's sex, if you are interested."

Olivia looked over at Elliot as he held her hand. "I didn't think I wanted to know. But now I kind of do. What do you think?"

"It's up to you."

She took a deep breath and looked at the screen, then back at the doctor. "How sure can you be?"

"With this machine if the baby will allow us a look, it would be pretty certain. Would you like to know the baby's sex?"

She looked back at Elliot once more and he smiled. Olivia turned and looked at the doctor. "Yes, we would like to know."

"Olivia, you are looking at your son."

"It's a boy?" Elliot asked a little shocked. He was so good at producing girls he had just assumed this baby would be a girl as well. "You're sure?"

The doctor zoomed the camera in on the lower region of the baby's body.

"Yeah, okay it's a boy," Elliot replied.

Olivia laughed.

"That is our son," she said with a smile and tears of happiness in her eyes.

The doctor printed them out more ultrasound pictures to take with them.

"This must be strange for you," Olivia said as they walked across the parking lot toward the her car.

"Why would it be strange for me, Liv? You're the one with a baby in your belly. A son."

She smiled again as he opened the car door for her.

"No, I mean having a baby with someone you don't even remember sleeping with."

Elliot looked her in the eye. "Olivia, this may not have happened the way that either of us would have planned. But it happened. And now we are having a son together. I don't think this is strange, Liv. I think it is wonderful."

"Really?" She asked with a nervous smile.

"Yes. There are a lot of things that I would change about that night if I could. But this baby is not one of them." Elliot placed his hands against her belly and for the first time they both felt their son kick.

Olivia smiled at Elliot and laughed. She placed her hand on her belly where the baby had kicked her moments before. "I wouldn't change it either."

"I was hoping you would feel that way," he said as he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"We're having a boy," Olivia thought out laud as she buckled her seatbelt.

"You know, this kid needs a name. Have you thought of any yet?"

"A couple. Nothing I am really set on. Do you have any ideas?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. He is your son, too. I think that you should have some say in the name he will carry with him for the rest of his life."

"I want him to be a Stabler. I know that."

Olivia smiled. "Okay."

"Why don't you make a list of names you like and I'll make a list. Then we can sit down together and go over them and pick something out."

"That is a good idea."

"I have one of those every now and then."

That evening Elliot dropped by Olivia's apartment to cook dinner for her to celebrate. He fixed them each a plate and a glass of her favorite red wine as they sat down to dinner.

"I shouldn't have this."

"You can have one glass of wine every now and then. Infact some doctors suggest it to help with insomnia during pregnancy."

"Really? Good to know. Where do you get this stuff?"

"I have five kids, Liv. You learn a few things."

"I really shouldn't drink this."

"Why not?"

Olivia bit her lip. "Lets just say that sometimes wine has a …. certain effect on me." She smiled a little. "And the way my hormones have been all screwed up lately I just don't think it is a good idea."

Elliot sat confused for a moment. "Oh!" He said as his eyes widened and he looked up at her.

Olivia laughed. "I thought you said you knew all of this."

"I know how Kathy was when she was pregnant."

"Was she like that?"

"Like what?"

Olivia stared at him. "Did she want sex all of the time?"

"You want sex all of the time?"

"I fell right into your trap."

"It is part of pregnancy," Elliot laughed. "It's normal."

"And the dreams?"

"You have dreams, too?"

"El…"

"I'm sure it is just the hormones."

She smiled just a little embarrassed.

Things were quiet between them for several minutes.

"Do you ever think about it?" She asked looking into his eyes.

"About that night?"

"Yes."

Elliot looked down at the table. "All the time," he confessed then looked up to see her reaction.

"Do you remember?" She stared at him.

"Just pieces."

"Yeah, me too."

"It was hot," he said staring at the wall in front of him.

Olivia turned her head to look at him. "How do you know?"

"I just remember thinking it was hot. And obviously it was good enough we both felt the need to do it again."

"I guess so."

"Olivia, I don't mean to be cold about this. I'm glad we are having this baby. I just wish that the night you got pregnant could have been more romantic and memorable, you deserve that. Not some drug induced romp in the sack that you can't even remember the next day. I just wish that the circumstances could have been better."

"That is sweet. But it happened, El. And in just over four months we are going to have a son."

"Well, what if we could still make this experience romantic and memorable?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…what if….what if we…"

"You want to have sex?"

"I…I…umm…"

"You don't want to have sex?"

"Are you asking me to…"

"I thought you were asking me….you're not asking me….oh, wow. I really read that wrong," she laughed.

"What if I was?"

"If you were, what? Asking me to have sex with you?"

Elliot just stared at her.

"Well, I don't know. At least we would remember it. I don't know, El."

"You're right. It was a bad idea."

Olivia smiled.

"It's getting late, I should go."

Elliot leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. He placed his hand on her belly and kissed it through her shirt.

"Good night little, man." He said with a proud smile.

Two nights later they met up with the crew for dinner and drinks at a restraint near Olivia's apartment. They broke the news that the baby was a boy. Just a few weeks earlier they had told everyone that they had decided to have a baby together. Their intentions were to remain friends and raise their child together. So far, so good.

After dinner Elliot walked Olivia back to her apartment. They sat on her sofa and read through a baby name book for a few hours trying to choose a name for their son.

Elliot leaned in to kiss her on the forehead before he left, but this time something was very different. She raised her head to look up at him just as he leaned in and their eyes met. They stared deep into each other's eyes for several moments and then somehow, someone made the next move.

Completely unaware who had started what, their lips met and proceeded into a very passionate kiss. Elliot placed his hand on her shoulder as Olivia kissed him back. Before long they were laying together on the sofa and their hands were touching places that hadn't been seen since that fateful night nearly five months ago.

Olivia laid back onto the couch and pulled him closer to her by his tie. She moaned softly as Elliot caressed the side of her face with his hand and gently bit the side of her neck. After a good fifteen minute smoking hot make out session Elliot realized what was taking place and pulled back from her. He sat up and looked down at her laying there on the sofa.

Olivia sat up and stared into his eyes. She took a deep breath and shifted her eyes toward the hallway and the bedroom. She looked back at Elliot then stood up and walked to the entrance of the hall stopping only long enough to slip off her shoes and look back at him once more then headed down the hall to the bedroom.

Elliot sat on the sofa for a moment and pondered her offer. She very obviously was inviting him to into her bed. He wanted her. God, he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone or anything in his life. But it wasn't only about them anymore. Now it was about what was best for their son. Elliot stood up and walked back to her bedroom. He stepped inside to find her sitting on the edge of the bed looking up at him and she smiled.

"I figured you would come back here eventually," she said with a soft smile.

"Olivia, I want this. God, I want this. I have wanted it for….as long as I can remember."

He walked toward her and held her hand in his.

"So do I," she said looking up at him seductively.

"But…."

"But?"

"I don't think we should do this."

"What?" She looked confused and even a little pissed off.

"I mean I don't just want sex. We have to think about what is best for our son, now. And some little fling between mommy and daddy because they are horny one night is not in his best interest."

Olivia just stared at him.

"I want this. But if we are going to do this, we need to do it right. I want us to be a couple and try to work this out. I want a relationship with you, Liv. Otherwise, I think this is a line that maybe we shouldn't cross again. It is all or nothing. We can have this, but we have to give it a fair shot."

"Do you think we could do it?"

"I think so. I want this, Liv. I want us as a couple and the three of us as a family."

"So do I."

"You do?" He sat down on the bed beside her on the bed.

"I want to give our baby everything, Elliot. Including the best family we can give him. Our son deserves his mother and his father in his life. And if we were able to work this out, then he would always have both of us."

Elliot laced his fingers in hers. "Now that I have ruined the mood."

She smiled. "Elliot, I am almost five months pregnant with raging hormones. I want sex almost all of the time. I'm sure I could get back into the mood if you could."

"Well, I might need a little convincing," he laughed as he leaned over her and kissed her once more.

Olivia laid back onto the bed and looked up at him. Ten minutes later they were making love. She gasped and moaned softly as he pushed inside her.

"Am I hurting you?"

"God, no. No, you feel so good."

He raised up hitting her in a different place inside and she moaned louder as she kissed him. Elliot began to move just a little faster and harder inside of her. But reminded himself to be gently and cautious. He was a little paranoid he would hurt her or their unborn child. And each time she made a different sound or moan he would ask her if she was okay. He was tender and sweet and slow and gently and they were incredible.

When they had finished Olivia laid against him with her head on his chest and the room fell quiet. Elliot kissed her on the top pf her head, then kissed her lips.

"I told you it was hot," he whispered softly and she laughed.

"Yes, it was."

"It is probably a good thing you were already pregnant."

"Why is that?"

"Well, if you weren't before you definitely would be now."

They both laughed and she sighed a little and sat up in the bed.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, your son just kicked me in the bladder and now I have to pee."

"Oh."

Olivia smiled and wrapped the sheet around her as she climbed from the bed and headed to the bathroom. A few minutes later she returned and settled in against Elliot for the night. She spent that night wrapped tightly inside his arms with her head on his chest and the taste of his soft kisses on her lips.


	7. 7 And Baby Makes Three

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Seven: And Baby Makes Three)_

Olivia moved uncomfortably around her apartment with one hand in the small of her back and the other under her now enormous baby belly. She felt miserable most of the time and was so ready for this pregnancy thing to be over. She looked at the clock on the DVD player.

"Two fifty three," she said to herself as she wrinkled her brow, "my appointment is at three fifteen. Where the hell are you Elliot?"

She walked over to the window to look out into the street to see if his car had arrived yet. Nothing! She exhaled deeply and sat down on the couch as her son kicked up under her ribs. He was doing a lot of this lately. Of course she was now two weeks past her due date and the kid was refusing to come out. He was probably pretty cramped in there.

She placed her hand over the area where she could feel the little bulge of the baby's head under her belly and rubbed little circles in an attempt to calm him. But it was no use, he was extremely active today. Olivia rubbed her hands over the tightly stretched skin of her belly. She stared down at it and imagined if this baby didn't come out soon it would burst.

Finally she heard the apartment door open as Elliot stepped inside.

"It's about time El, I'm gonna be late for my appointment."

"I'm sorry, I got out of there as soon as I could. Cragen had John and I doing an interrogation for hours."

"Ahh. And were you the good cop or the bad cop?"

He leaned down to kiss her lips as she smiled.

"Bad cop, it is always more fun to be the bad cop. And I do it so well."

"You do play the bad cop well. Can you help me up I have to pee before we leave?" She stretched her arms out in front of her and Elliot helped pull her to her feet.

"Why didn't you already pee if we are running so late?" He mumbled under his breath, knowing better than to say it aloud to her.

"Okay," she said as she returned a few minutes later.

Elliot helped her down the stairs. She actually was not nearly as big pregnant as she felt. She had a good sized baby bump, but it was nothing compared to the size Kathy got with any of the other Stabler children. Elliot smiled at her comments about being fat. It was funny to him to even imagine Olivia fat.

"You are not fat, Liv. You are ten months pregnant. And before long the majority of this weight will be gone and your body will return to normal."

"Thank God! I have not been able to even see my feet for the last two months. I can't sleep, I have to pee every five minutes and I have just started having morning sickness the last few months of the pregnancy. Until recently I had enjoyed being pregnant. Now I am just exhausted and ready for it to be over with. And I still have delivery to look forward to."

Elliot touched a strand of hair behind her hear and he pulled the seatbelt under her belly and buckled it for her. He kissed the tip of her nose and smiled as he closed the door and walked around the front of the car to the drivers side and climbed in.

"I don't mean to complain, Elliot."

"It's fine. I know your tired and just tired of being pregnant, but it will be over soon." He cupped his hand against the side of her face and kissed her lips.

"I am just ready for this part to be over so we can finally meet our son," she said with a tired smile.

"I know baby, me too."

At her appointment Olivia's doctor checked her and said that she had dilated to a two. But that if she didn't go into labor naturally within a couple of days they would have to induce her labor or possibly schedule a cesarean.

"I want to have the baby naturally, I don't want a cesarean," Olivia argued with her doctor.

The doctor turned and looked at Elliot.

"What? She should have a choice here. I agree with her. This my sixth baby and I don't think we should schedule a cesarean unless it is absolutely necessary."

"Okay," the doctor finally agreed. "But it we could schedule for tomorrow morning and you would have your son in your arms twenty minutes later. If we induce, you could lay in labor for hours and still end up getting a cesarean."

"Is there any medical reason she cannot deliver vaginally?" Elliot asked.

"No, the ultrasound shows the baby is in position and ready to go. Everything looks fine."

"Then when can you induce?"

The doctor looked at Olivia.

"I'm just ready to get this baby out of me," she exhaled.

"What about tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good," she said softly.

"Be here around seven we'll get you checked in and induce around nine. Hopefully by three or so you will finally have your son."

Olivia smiled sarcastically.

"I will see you guys then."

"Thanks," she mumbled.

The doctor left the room so that she could get dressed once more.

"Where did they find this moron?" Elliot asked.

"My regular doctor is on vacation."

"So this guy is delivering our kid? I don't like him."

"Neither do I. He is pushy and doesn't seem to care what I think or want. But he knows what he is doing. I mean this is my first baby and he has delivered dozens. I guess he knows more about this than I do."

Olivia stepped out from behind the curtain and tossed the hospital gown across the examine table.

"I just want you to be comfortable. And that man makes us both nervous. And I don't like the way he talks to you. There has to be another doctor."

"Well, yeah I'm sure there is. But I don't know if there is really any point in changing doctors again if I am having the baby tomorrow."

"How much longer is your doctor going to be gone?"

"Probably a few more weeks, his wife just had a baby. He had saved up vacation time to stay home with her when she had their daughter."

"Well, what if we went to a different hospital?"

"I really want to have the baby here."

"Okay, but I don't want him talking to you like that in the delivery room."

Olivia smiled.

"It is cute that you get so defensive."

"You are going to be in pain and nervous about everything. You don't need someone like that making things worse for you."

Olivia hugged him and he kissed the top of her head.

"I am so glad that you have my back."

"Always," he said staring into her eyes.

"So, is there anything you want to do before you give birth tomorrow?"

She looked at him and smiled again.

"Well, there is one thing that I pretty much always want to do."

"Liv, the last time we had sex I hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me, Elliot. I said it hurt. Well, it didn't really hurt as much as it was uncomfortable. But after tomorrow it will be six weeks before we can have sex. Uncomfortable or not, I would like to at least give it a try."

"I am all for it honey, as long as I'm not hurting you."

Olivia smiled, pleased that she had won that disagreement.

"What do you want for dinner?" He asked looking at her.

"Ooh, Chinese food."

"Chinese food it is."

Elliot called in take out and picked it up then stopped at the video store and rented a movie she had been wanting to see. The went back to her apartment and had dinner then curled up on the couch and watched the movie as Elliot massaged her feet for her. Elliot double checked her bag of things to take to the hospital the next morning and sat the camcorder on the top of the bag near the door.

They went to bed around early to spend a little _quality_ time together before the baby arrived. Elliot kissed her gently and held her by the glow of the television then they made love, the best they could. It still was not completely comfortable for her, but she kept insisting she was okay and wanted him to continue. Shortly after she turned off the television they fell asleep together in the dark.

It was around nine o'clock in that night when Olivia awoke with a strange feeling and was unable to go back to sleep. Her back was achy and she tossed and turned to get comfortable, but it was no use. She rolled over to reach to the remote control when she felt a warm gush of fluid and had a sharp pain.

Olivia gasped for a moment with her hands on her belly. As the contraction weakened she looked at Elliot asleep beside her in the bed.

"Elliot," she groaned and hit his shoulder as she entered another contraction. "El, wake up!"

She hit his shoulder again and he turned his head and opened his eyes to look at her.

"Can't sleep, huh?"

"No! El, my water just broke!"

"What?"

Olivia pulled back the blankets to reveal the soaked bed sheets and nightgown.

"This is so gross!"

"Your water broke?"

"Yeah," she said then groaned again as another contraction set in. "I don't think I am going to make it until nine o'clock in the morning."

Elliot brought her clothes and helped her change and got her into the car. He drove quickly, but safely across town to the hospital. Then escorted Olivia in to the emergency room.

Before long she was admitted and in a small room on the maternity ward with little pink and blue baby foot prints on the wall paper. She groaned and breathed heavily through several more contractions, then a doctor came in.

"Olivia, I am doctor Davis. I am the on call physician here tonight. We can't seem to reach your doctor right now, so I am just going to check you to see how far dilated you are."

The doctor checked her and she was already at an eight. If they didn't reach her doctor and soon, this doctor would have to deliver her baby. At this point she was in so much pain and a little pissed off that they were unable to reach him, so it was probably better for his sake if he just stayed away.

Thirty minutes later the doctor checked her once more.

"Olivia, are you ready to start pushing?"

"I just want this baby out! Now!"

Elliot held her hand as she glared at him. She wasn't sure exactly how, but this was _all_ his fault!

"Okay, on the next contraction, I want you to push. Ready? One….two….three…PUSH!"

She groaned and pushed as hard as she could, until she couldn't push anymore. This went on for almost an hour before Elliot finally heard the baby cry.

Olivia cried when the baby cried and she fell exhausted back into Elliot's arms as the doctor held the baby up for them to see.

"He's beautiful Olivia," the doctor said as he handed the crying baby boy off to a nurse to clean him up a bit. "Eleven fifty seven," the doctor said looking up at the clock.

The nurse weighed and measured the crying infant then wrapped him in a blanket and brought him to Olivia.

"Here's your son," she said handing the newborn to his mother.

Olivia looked down at the little bundle of swaddling that contained her son. She pushed the blanket away from his face as she and Elliot peered down onto him. The baby stretched out his little hands and wrapped one tight around Olivia's finger as he grunted and opened his eyes to look up at them.

Olivia laughed as she stared down into Elliot's blue eyes. The baby stirred a little and began to fuss.

"He is probably wanting to be fed. Some babies are ready to nurse right after they are born."

The nurse showed Olivia how to hold the newborn to nurse him. Elliot stood and watched her with their son and within a matter of moments it was all natural to her. She cradled him and rocked him and kissed his little head. Then she looked up at Elliot with exhausted eyes.

"Thank you," she mouthed almost breathlessly over the sleeping newborn.

Elliot smiled and kissed her lips tenderly and twirled his fingers in his sons dark hair. "Thank you," he mouthed back to her as he kissed the top of their sons head.

Olivia turned and handed him the baby as Elliot sat down on the edge of her hospital bed.

"He is so perfect, Liv."

"He aught to be," she laughed, "as long as he was in there."

Elliot watched her as a single tear fell from her cheek.

"I have never been so happy Elliot," she whispered softly.

"Me either," he said softly shifting his eyes to meet hers and leaning in to kiss her lips again.

The nurse came in with the baby's little bed and tapped the "It's A Boy!" card in the end of it. "Baby Boy Stabler," was printed in bold letters across the name line. Elliot traced his fingers over it and looked back at Olivia with a smile. He was so proud.

"He weighs eight pounds, seven and a half ounces and was twenty one inches long."

"That is a healthy baby boy," the doctor added as he walked back into the room to check on them. "How are you guys doing?"

"I think we are just fine," Olivia said softly.

"Does this little man have a name?"

"Noah," Elliot said looking at Olivia. "Noah Matthew Stabler."

"That is a wonderful name. I think it fits him well."

Olivia smiled and looked down at little Noah sleeping peacefully in her arms. She combed her fingers through his thin dark hair and kissed the top of his head.


	8. 8 Bribery

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Eight: Bribery)_

Olivia opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling in the dark for a moment. She waited quietly for a few seconds the sat slowly up and walked across her bedroom to the bassinet where Noah laid. She looked down as the baby boy kicked and squirmed around a little but didn't cry. She reached down and changed his wet diaper and wrapped him back in his blanket then picked him up in her arms. She held him against her chest and patted his little back with her hand as she walked down the hallway with him toward the nursery.

She sat down in the rocking chair and unbuttoned the top of her gown and rocked the baby as she nursed him. Every four hours like clock work. And the last few times she had woke up in anticipation of getting up with him. Anymore he didn't really even cry as long as she got him within the first five or ten minutes after he woke up.

Noah stared up at his mother as he curled his little fingers around hers and Olivia brushed her fingertips over his hair. She loved this time. The early morning feedings just before dawn. When everyone else was asleep and the whole world was theirs, here in this tiny room. And nothing mattered in the world, but mommy and daddy and Noah. Like everything outside the door of their apartment belonged to some other universe and was completely unrelated to them.

"Hey," she heard quietly from behind her.

"Hey," she whispered back as Elliot leaned in to kiss her.

"I didn't hear you guys get up."

"He didn't cry."

"Oh, how's he doing?"

"Good. He was hungry."

"He is so beautiful, Liv. One of the six best things I have ever done with my life." Elliot knelt beside the rocking chair and kissed his son on the top of his head.

Olivia smiled. She loved watching Elliot with their son. He was such a good father.

"Did you call the kids?"

"Yeah, I called them yesterday."

"Yesterday? Elliot he is four days old today. We have been home for two days."

"I know, but I figured I would give you a little time to get settled and give the three of us a little bonding time before we brought in the big kids."

"What did they say?"

"They are all excited. They wanted to come by today after school to see the baby. I told them I would talk to you about it and maybe pick them up from school."

"Why would you need to talk to me? Elliot, I don't mind."

"Well, you have had a rough couple of days. I wanted to make sure you were up to it before I brought home a bunch of screaming kids to see the baby."

"El, he's your baby, too. And he is their brother, I am just glad that they are excited to meet him. I appreciate the concern, but I am fine. I want the kids to be able to be around him whenever they want. You don't have to ask me. Besides I love your kids, they are amazing children."

"Yeah, well I have four teenagers and Eli is in his terrible two's. And now this little guy. Besides, somewhere inside I am still clinging to the hope that someday they will all be our children."

Olivia shifted her eyes to look into his. "Slow down cowboy. Elliot, I am crazy about you and we are great where we are now. But I just want to stay here for a while. Focus on raising Noah. He is the most important thing in this world to me. I just don't want to rush this or get in over our heads. We have never even talked about marriage."

"We are right now. Liv…" Elliot cupped his hand under his sons head and looked into her eyes. "I love you and I love Noah and I want us to be a family."

"Elliot, we already are."

"Yeah. Look, I just….I am serious about you, about us, the three of us."

Olivia took a deep breath. "I love you, too Elliot. And maybe someday I will be ready for something more serious, but I just can't right now. I mean, don't get the wrong idea. I want to be with you. And only you. I don't date more than one guy at a time. I am serious about us as a couple and us, the three of us as a family. But I don't want to get married until I am ready to get married. I don't think that we should jump into anything because we have a baby now. I don't have to tell you how hard it can be to make a marriage work sometimes. You have been there."

"Yes, I have Olivia. And I know when something is worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for."

Olivia sat and looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I love you, Elliot. I just don't see what the rush is. I mean a piece of paper and a couple of rings are not going to change anything."

Elliot was quiet for a moment then he looked into her eyes. "They would change your name."

Olivia took a deep breath. "El, I am not saying that I am not interested. I am. I just know that I am not ready. I mean, we have not even been together for a year."

"Olivia, we have been together for almost eleven years."

"I mean as a couple. I'm just afraid. I want to get married. But I only ever want to do it one time. That is it. I just need a little time to adjust to the idea, I am still trying to adjust to being a mother."

"You are doing an amazing job."

"Thank you. El, please understand."

"I understand that I love you and if you are not ready to get married, then I can wait until you are."

Olivia smiled as Elliot wiped a tear from her cheek.

"That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"I love you Olivia."

"I love you Elliot."

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly.

Olivia carried a sleeping Noah back to his bassinet and placed him inside.

Elliot put his arm around her and as they looked down at their son.

"I want more kids, Elliot."

"What?"

"Well, not now. Not for a while. At least until he's a little older. But I want them."

She turned to look at Elliot.

"Hey, I would love to have more beautiful babies with you. Look how great this one turned out. I just don't think we should have anymore until we get married."

"That's blackmail."

"No, baby. It's bribery."

Olivia laughed.

"Okay, it's a deal."


	9. 9 Children And Confrontation

_**Pretty Poison**_

_**(Chapter Nine: Children And Confrontation)**_

**It had been a long day for the new mother and her son. They had a check up at the pediatrician that went very well. Noah was now five days old and weighed right at nine pounds. He was doing very well.**

**After their appointment they went by work to visit daddy and see everyone there. Olivia actually lost track of her newborn as Cragen pulled him from the carrier and walked around the squad room and office with him. He gave little Noah the tour and talked to him about one day when he is a big boy and can come work there as well.**

**Elliot smiled and took his son from his boss as he carried him back to the desk and held him to feed him from a bottle. He held his son against his arm holding the bottle in his mouth and the phone against his shoulder as he waited on hold to set up an interview with a witness.**

**Olivia sat at her desk and completed a few pages of paper work and packed up a few files to take home to work on. Elliot stood up and handed the baby back to Olivia as he began to get fussy. She held Noah against her shoulder and gently patted his back as she swayed slowly back and forth with him until the baby had settled. He curled his little face in against her neck and closed his eyes making only a few little grunting sounds before he had fallen asleep.**

"**You're a natural Olivia," Cragen said as she lowered her son back into his carrier and strapped him in then covered him with his blanket and kissed his forehead.**

"**Thanks. It's funny, I never would have imagined myself as anyone's mother. I wasn't even sure that I wanted children until I found out I was pregnant."**

"**He really is perfect," Cragen said as he brushed his fingertip gently across the baby's cheek.**

"**Yeah," she replied with a soft smile.**

**Later that evening the Stabler children joined them for dinner in a little restaurant across town to meet their new baby brother.**

**The girls were all smiles and Dickie happy that he had another brother instead of a sister.**

"**He is so cute," Maureen said as Olivia handed Noah to her.**

"**Thank you."**

"**So are you and dad getting married?" Kathleen asked staring Olivia in the eye.**

"**Umm….I…I don't know."**

"**Kathleen, don't be rude." Elliot glared at his daughter in an attempt to try to ward off her attack on Olivia.**

"**What? You are either together or your not."**

**Olivia looked at Elliot as his eyes dashed to hers.**

"**Oh come on dad, you and mom told us when we were like ten how babies were made. Or are we supposed to believe this was an Immaculate Conception?"**

"**Kathleen! That's enough!" Elliot slammed his hands down on the table making the kids jump and the baby began to cry.**

**Maureen handed him back to Olivia as she laid him against her shoulder and stood up to walk to the bathroom with him.**

"**No, Liv. It's okay. Stay."**

"**Elliot, it's okay. He needs changed and I think maybe you guys could use a minute just family." **

**She turned to walk toward the ladies room as Elliot reached for her hand.**

"**You are family, both of you. Please, stay." **

**Olivia looked into his eyes then turned and looked at the children seated around the table, all of whom nodded in agreement except Kathleen who sat quietly with her arms crossed in front of her staring at the table obviously pissed off. Olivia looked back at Elliot again then sat back in her chair and rocked the baby in her arms. Elliot reached over and caressed the top of his son's head.**

"**Daddy's sorry buddy."**

**Noah grunted and pulled his fist to his mouth.**

"**This is bullshit!" Kathleen declared as she stood up from the table and stormed out of the restaurant.**

**Maureen stood up to go after her. **

"**Let her go," Elliot said looking up at Maureen. "Have a seat honey. Give her a minute to cool down and I will go talk to her. Let's all try to enjoy a meal as a family. Does everyone know what they want to order?"**

**Elliot flagged the waiter over to the table and everyone ordered their food. A few minutes later he walked outside to find his daughter leaned against the brick wall of the restaurant smoking a cigarette. **

"**You want attention? You got it," he said as he jerked the cigarette from her mouth and stomped it out on the ground. He reached for the pack in her hand and crushed it in his fist.**

"**Hey, I am an adult now. I can smoke if I want to!"**

"**Not in front of me you don't." Elliot had to remind himself to keep a mellow tone with her. "So what's the deal Kathleen? What is the real problem here?"**

**She stared at him and rolled her eyes as she turned away from him and walked a few steps down the side walk.**

"**If you're pissed at me, talk to me Kathleen! But don't take it out on Olivia!"**

**She shook her head and he could tell she was crying.**

"**Kathleen. Talk to me."**

"**It just isn't fair!" She began to cry and Elliot knew he was finally getting somewhere.**

"**What isn't fair?"**

**She shifted her blue eyes to look at him.**

"**You just walk away from our family! You didn't even ask us what we wanted! And now you just have a new baby and a new life with Olivia?"**

"**Kathleen, you have it all wrong. First of all, I didn't walk away from this family. Mom and I agreed that a divorce was best for both of us and I moved out. And as for Olivia, we have been dating for a while now. And Noah is your half brother. I am not asking you to like it, Kathleen. I am just asking you to give it a chance. Give her a chance. This isn't some fling for me. Our relationship is serious and someday, who knows I may even get married again/ She is my best friend and I care a lot about her. She is a very important person in my life. And now we have a baby together."**

"**You're thinking about marrying her?" Kathleen just stared at him waiting for an answer.**

"**We're not engaged or anything. But I love her. We have talked about it and maybe someday, sometime in the distant future….. Honey, what is your problem with Olivia?"**

"**I don't have a problem with Olivia, dad. She's great. But she isn't mom."**

"**Kathleen…."**

"**I know, you agreed it was what was best. But now she is dating some guy from Jersey and we never get to see you anymore."**

**Elliot took a deep breath. She was right. It had been nearly two months since he had spent a weekend with his children. He had gotten busy with work and life and then Olivia had the baby. He had let them down.**

**Elliot leaned in and hugged his daughter.**

"**I'm sorry, baby. You're right. I haven't spent much time with you guys. But that is going to change now. It is in the custody agreement that I have you guys every other weekend, Kathleen. But you and Maureen are adults now and living on your own. And I know your mother wouldn't mind if any of you wanted to come over at any time. You are always welcome." She smiled. "I'll tell you what. From now on we will all meet up and have dinner together one night a week. I'll work it out with your mom, so that the twins and Eli can be there. You girls work it out with your schedules with school. Even if it is just a quick slice of pizza and you tell me about your day at school, we're going to do this. Deal?"**

**Elliot offered his hand to hers to shake.**

**Kathleen stared at it for a minute. "Deal!" She said with a smile.**

"**Good! Now lets get back inside and get some dinner before everyone else is finished eating."**

"**Okay dad."**

"**And one more thing…."**

"**What's that?"**

"**How many times have I told you how bad smoking is for you? The cigarettes have got to go."**

"**Okay, I'll quit."**

"**Good girl."**

**Elliot hugged her and kissed the top of her head.**

**Olivia returned from changing Noah just as they returned to the table and Elliot flagged the waiter to give him their orders. Kathleen looked over at her baby brother in Olivia's arms.**

"**Would you like to hold him?" Olivia asked as Kathleen looked into her eyes and smiled.**

"**Are you sure?"**

"**Yes. You're his sister. You can hold him any time you like."**

**Kathleen smiled and laughed as she tool Noah from Olivia's arms.**

"**He is so sweet," she said with a grin as the baby looked up at her and grunted. "He looks like you dad."**

"**He does, huh?" Elliot said looking down at his son.**

"**Yeah, dad. Only he has more hair than you do," Dickie added with his classic Stabler charm as everyone laughed.**

**Elliot caught Olivia's eye across the table and winked at her. **

"**I love you," she mouthed to him as she smiled.**

"**I love you, too." He mouthed back to her.**


	10. 10 Too Close To Home

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Ten: Too Close To Home)_

It was Olivia's first week back to work since Noah had been born and it was a tough one. Not only was she dealing with the usual struggle that every new mother faces when she returns to work and her baby starts staying with a baby sitter, but it had been a crazy week at work as well. In their case Kathy was keeping Noah for the time being to keep him from having to go into daycare and allow Olivia a little peace of mind. It also allowed the other children time to spend with their new brother when they weren't in school. It seemed to be working out really well.

But today they were about to catch a lead on a case that hit pretty close to home. The call came in around two thirty in the afternoon. A woman crying on the other end of the line said that she thought she had been raped, but she wasn't exactly sure. Dispatch transferred the call to Olivia's desk. When she answered the woman was crying so hard Olivia could barely understand her. She scribbled down the woman's address and hung up the phone.

"We should go talk to her," she said looking up at Elliot.

"What did she say?"

"I'm not completely sure. She was crying a lot and it was hard to understand most of it. But she thinks she was raped."

"Thinks?"

"The only things I could make out for sure were the words rape and Biltmore Hotel."

Elliot sat his coffee mug down on his desk as his eyes shot up to meet hers.

"I thought that would catch your attention," she replied.

"It's our guy?"

"Sounds like him. Fits his M.O."

She tore the page with the woman's address from her notepad.

"Why didn't you have her meet us at the hospital?"

"I tried. She freaked out. She isn't ready yet, Elliot. We need to talk to her first. I will see if I can talk her into allowing a rape kit. But if it happened last night and it took her this long to report it she may have already showered and washed away any evidence we may have found."

"That's true. Let's go talk to her and see if maybe she can at least give us enough to know if this is the same guy. They could be completely unrelated cases."

They got into the car and headed across town to the address the woman on the phone gave Olivia.

After the third knock on the door the frail form of a woman appeared in front of them peering through the chain.

"Erin Davis? I am Detective Olivia Benson from the Special Victims Unit. We spoke on the phone a few minutes ago."

The woman looked Olivia over from head to toe, then stared into her eyes.

"I think I made a mistake. I shouldn't have called you. You shouldn't be here." She tried to close the door, but Olivia spoke first causing a pause as Erin reconsidered.

"I just want to talk to you. Make sure you are okay. You have been through a lot and it looks like you could use someone to talk to."

Erin shifted her eyes from Olivia to Elliot.

"This is my partner, Detective Stabler. But he can wait out here if that would be more comfortable for you."

Olivia felt Elliot's hand on the small of her back in protest. Not only was it against protocol for her to enter the residence on this call alone, but Elliot honestly didn't feel that she needed to speak to this woman alone due to her own personal involvement in this case. Everything this woman did or didn't say was going to bring back memories of their own assault. Assuming this was the same attacker. He wasn't about to let her move forward on this one without him there beside her.

"Can I see your badges?" Erin asked through the chain.

Smart girl, Elliot thought as he passed his ID and badge to Olivia to show to the woman.

"I'm sorry. Its just that I am here alone and after….." she trailed off for a moment in silence. "This is New York. I don't let strangers into my home. But I guess you aren't really strangers at all, are you detectives?"

"If it would be more comfortable for you, you could come down to the station with us and give a statement there," Olivia suggested.

Erin took a deep breath. "No, it's okay. I have already made you come all of the way down here. Come on in." She closed the door and unlocked the chain, then opened the door again allowing them entrance.

Elliot and Olivia followed Erin into a small parlor area off the main living room. She sat in a chair across the room as they took each took a seat on the couch across from her.

"Where do I start?"

Elliot let Olivia take the lead on this one. She being the female officer most victims would offer up information to her that they wouldn't give to him. Olivia was sweet and understanding and polite when dealing with their rape victims. She formed a bond with them and did her best to make them feel safe and secure again. She was damn good at this part of the job. She was damn good at all of her job. Elliot dealt with victims, he had a way and could handle it. But most women after being assaulted would much rather speak to a female detective than a male detective.

"Why don you begin by telling us what exactly happened last night? You said you weren't sure if you were raped?"

"I know it sounds so stupid. I mean I either was or I wasn't, right?"

"Erin, sometimes things are more complicated than that. Can you tell me what happened?"

"My husband Seth and I have only been married a few weeks. We had our reception at the Biltmore. We go there sometimes with friends and have drinks. Last night we met up with some friends from Seth's work. He is in business law and their firm had just signed a new client. We had a few drinks, not too many. Then I started to get a headache. I started feeling dizzy and Seth got pretty tipsy. We decided just to get a room for the night instead of driving home. The strange part is that after I got a headache I switched to drinking soda. Somehow we both ended up completely wasted. I remember talking to a guy at the bar. Seth was talking to him and I thought they knew each other. The guy followed us back to our room. I don't even remember why. The man was talking to him. Instructing him. He gave Seth directions….how to have sex with me. What positions and where to touch and kiss me. And he watched. He sat across the room and watched, the entire time."

"Then he fixed Seth another drink and Seth passed out in a chair across the room. The next thing I know we were having sex in the bed." Erin paused for a moment. "You have to understand detectives, I would never cheat on my husband," she sobbed.

"Of course not," Olivia replied not sure what to say.

"Especially not with him there in the room. I love Seth. I don't even know how it happened. But I asked him to stop. He whispered into my ear that I was beautiful and he kissed me. He raised my hands over my head and whispered in my ear. He made me do things with him that I don't even do with my husband. Dirty things."

Erin was crying now and Elliot could see the tears welling in Olivia's eyes as well. He wasn't sure how she was holding herself together. Elliot stared at Olivia and wondered if this was making her remember any more about their night in the Biltmore Hotel.

"Is there anything else you can remember? What he looked like? Or how he smelled? Did he speak with an accent? Any tattoos or anything we might be able to use to help identify him with?" Elliot asked.

"Umm. I'm trying to think. He had dark hair and eyes. And he was taller than my husband. Seth is six two, so I would say…..six four or six five maybe. He was an attractive man and very confident. He seemed so comfortable with what he was doing. Like he felt he had that right or wasn't doing anything wrong. When I woke up in the morning he was gone and Seth was asleep in the arm chair. My purse had been dumped on the dresser. Seth's Rolex and my jewelry and some cash was missing."

"Erin, have you showered since the attack?" Olivia asked with heavy eyes.

"What?"

"I know this is personal and you have a million thoughts running through your head at the moment. But I need to know. If we get a rape kit done and can get DNA or other evidence from that, it could be our best chance at catching this guy."

"I can't. I have not even told Seth."

"Your husband doesn't know?" Olivia asked.

"I don't know for sure. We both woke up really hung over. I tried to talk to him about last night, I could only remember little fragments of things that happened. He didn't act like he remembered anything. He was hung over, he took a shower and went to work. I sat here, but the more I thought about it the more I honestly felt that this really happened. It all kind of seems like a dream now, but it was real. I was there and so was that man. I know it was real because of the condoms."

"What do you mean?" Elliot asked her.

"I found condoms in the trash can back at the hotel room. I'm on the pill, Seth and I don't use condoms."

Elliot looked at Olivia as his eyes widened.

"I have got to get CSI down to that room. Do you remember the room number, Erin?"

"Room number 210."

"Will you excuse me for a moment?"

Erin nodded her head as Elliot moved quickly to the foyer and called Cragen.

"Erin, this did happen. Everything you remember was real. You felt bad this morning because you were probably drugged last night. I would really like to take you in and get a rape kit and some blood samples. We will know more after that."

"I don't know," she shook her head.

"Erin, I know this is all a little much right now. But after today, after you shower it will be too late." Olivia paused for a moment. She almost couldn't believe she was trying to pressure Erin into this, but she was desperate to find the truth. "It is up to you. But I can go with you if you want and sit with you through the entire examine. We can even contact Seth and help you find a way to tell him. Erin, you were raped last night."

"Seth needs to know," she whispered softly. "I have no idea what to even say to him."

Olivia placed her hand on top of Erin's.

"We can take this one step at a time, together. I am not going to make you face this alone. But you should both be tested to see if there are drugs in your system. And I am sure if you were both drugged, Seth is probably a little confused about the events that took place last night as well."

Erin nodded her head as Elliot stepped back into the room. Erin stepped into the other room to get her keys.

"Cragen is sending a team over to clean the room. Lucky for us the regular maid called in to work this morning and they are running behind. The room has not even been opened since they left this morning."

"I told her I would sit with her through the examine at the hospital. I don't think she should go through this alone. From what she says I think this is our guy."

"Do you remember anything else?"

"No, but everything she described Elliot, it is exactly detail for detail the way it happened to us."

Elliot raised his hand and brushed his thumb across her face.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just really want to help her. She needs to know and so do I. I was thinking while I am at the hospital with her maybe you could go talk to the husband. Sit him down for a little man to man. Explain this to him."

"Man, he's going to flip out. I have to tell this man that someone raped his wife while he was ten feet away from her asleep in a chair."

Elliot stared into her eyes for a moment. There was more he wanted to ask her about the night their son was conceived, but they were interrupted when Erin walked back into the room. This was neither the time or the place for them to discuss that night.

Elliot dropped Erin and Olivia off at the hospital then headed across town to speak with Erin's husband Seth. He walked along the sidewalk in front of Seth's office building as they spoke. Seth had a few blurry memories of the night before, but none of them included his wife having sex with another man.

Elliot told him what happened, all of what happened. Seth choked for a moment. He couldn't believe that he had been right there in the room and didn't protect Erin. Worst of all, he was the one who let the man into their room. Elliot gave him a few moments to gather his thoughts and regain control over his emotions then he drove Seth across town to meet up with Erin and Olivia at the hospital. When the examine was finished and blood samples had been taken from Seth and Erin Davis, Elliot and Olivia drove them home. Olivia handed Erin her business card and told her to call her if she ever needed someone to talk to. They sat in the car and watched until Seth and Erin were safely inside, then headed back to the precinct.

In the locker room that evening before going home Elliot caught Olivia alone for a moment. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, holding her for a moment. He kissed her tenderly then stared into her eyes.

"What was that for?" She asked.

"I just know how hard this case must be on you. Bringing up old memories. Not knowing the answers to so many questions about that night."

"Elliot, the only thing that I do know about that night was that we had sex. And at some point during that sex, our son was conceived. And that is all I need to know," she said softly with tired eyes as she pulled her purse strap over her shoulder.

"It's hard not knowing. As much as you don't want to, you still need to. Liv, there is nothing wrong with that."

"It is just so hard. I look at her and I see me. All of those months ago, lost with no answers. And I think how we got lucky. I got lucky. I was so close…."

Elliot brushed his thumb over her lips as a tear fell from her eyes.

"Olivia, look at me."

She shifted her eyes to meet his.

"Baby, are you sure that was everything that happened that night?"

She just stared into him, spilling her tears down both cheeks.

"Liv, did he rape you?"

"No," she said softly as she shook her head.

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

Elliot moved closer and held her tight in his arms, just breathing her in and letting her surround him. He wasn't sure what had stopped this monster from raping Olivia, like he had done Erin Davis, but he thanked God it did.


	11. 11 Breaking The Silence

_**Pretty Poison**_

_**(Chapter Eleven: Breaking The Silence)**_

**Olivia answered her cell phone around three o'clock in the afternoon. It was Erin Davis calling to ask if they had learned anything about her case. Olivia talked to her for a few minutes then they agreed to meet at a little café for lunch that afternoon. It was Saturday, their day off and Elliot had agreed to watch Noah and give her some time with Erin. But at the last minute, Elliot got called out so began the search for a babysitter. She really didn't want to bother Kathy on one of the two days a week she got to spend alone with her own children. But she didn't know who to call.**

**Just then Olivia's phone rang and she opened it placing it against her ear.**

"**Hello?" She asked as she struggled with her crying infant to change his diaper.**

"**Liv hey, it's Maureen how are things going?"**

"**They are fine, honey. What's going on?"**

"**Not much. How's Noah? I didn't get a chance to stop by mom's last week and play with him. I have been so busy at school."**

"**He's good. Getting big."**

"**I miss him so much. I was going to call and see if I could stop by later and see him for a little while. But I just talked to dad and he said you might be in a bind a looking for a sitter?"**

"**He did, did he? What are you doing this afternoon?"**

"**I'm free until about one, then I am supposed to meet up with some friends to do a little shopping. Olivia, if it's okay with you I would love to keep him."**

"**Really? I would pay you of course."**

**Maureen laughed.**

"**You don't have to pay me to spend time with my baby brother."**

"**I know that honey, but you are really helping me out a lot. I am supposed to have lunch with someone from work. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to do that with the baby."**

"**No problem. And Olivia…."**

"**Yes…."**

"**Next time, it's okay if you want to call me. I would gladly keep him anytime."**

"**Thank you honey."**

"**I'll be there in an hour."**

"**Great."**

**Maureen showed up just in time. **

"**The diapers and wipes are on the changing table in the nursery. Pediatrician's number is by the phone. I have four bottles of breast milk in the refrigerator. What else…"**

"**Olivia, I have done this a time or two."**

"**Right. I'm sorry honey. I just haven't really left him with anyone but your mom. Not that I don't trust you. Because I do. Fully. It is just still hard for me to leave him at all."**

"**It's okay. My mom has like a dozen kids. I have been through this before."**

**Maureen smiled and Olivia laughed a little.**

"**You dear are an angel," Olivia said kissing the top of her head. "Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."**

"**Noah, mommy loves you. Be a good boy for sissy," she kissed the baby on his forehead and smoother her fingers down his cheek. I love you baby."**

**She took a deep breath and grabbed her purse and headed out the door.**

**They dined outside at a little table on the sidewalk as Olivia filled Erin in on the findings during the investigation.**

"**The lab pulled DNA from the condoms in the trash can. They ran it in the system, but so far we're not finding anything. Sometimes it takes a while to get a hit. Or maybe he just hasn't been caught yet."**

"**Maybe he hasn't done this to anyone else."**

"**He has Erin. There are at least four other cases that I know of. The DNA from your case matched three of those."**

"**And the fourth?"**

"**Well, we didn't get DNA from that one. But it is exactly the same motive, the same hotel, same drugs and similar items stolen from the victims. It was our guy."**

"**So we were drugged?"**

"**Yes, you and Seth. Seth at a much higher level than you. He wanted to knock him out, but needed to be able to control you."**

**Erin gulped and stared out into the street.**

"**I'm sorry. I slipped into cop mode. I wasn't very sensitive about that. Are you okay?"**

"**I'm fine. I just want this all to be over."**

"**I know, Erin. And believe me I want to find this guy as badly as you do. From the details that were given to us by each of the victims we were able to get a composite sketch." Olivia pulled a paper from a file and handed it to Erin. **

"**Is that him?" Erin asked.**

"**As far as we know. So far this is all we have to go on."**

"**He looks familiar. But I don't know him. It's strange. I wanted to talk to you, I remembered a couple of things."**

"**Like what?" Olivia pulled a notepad from her purse to record details.**

"**Like there was another man. A second man."**

"**Did he rape you also? We only found DNA evidence from one man."**

"**No, he came in with this guy. He was there while Seth and I were….they argued and the other man left. I don't remember seeing him after that."**

"**That is good. Do you remember what he looked like?"**

"**No. I mean I see him, but I can't see his face."**

**Olivia nodded.**

"**And the other thing you remembered?"**

"**What?"**

"**You said you remembered a couple of things about that night."**

"**Oh, yes. While this man sat in the chair and watched Seth and I have sex he….umm, touched himself."**

"**He masturbated?" **

"**Yes. Well, he tried. He did that for a while, but seemed to have trouble getting a reaction. He got angry and threw the phone from the nightstand beside the bed. After a while he finally managed to get an erection. After that was when he climbed into bed with me and he…."**

**Olivia nodded her head. **

"**That is good. You are giving me amazing details here and this is going to help catch these men and put them away. You are doing so good."**

"**I don't get it Detective Benson…."**

"**Olivia."**

"**Olivia. Why do you care so much? I mean I know that this is your job. But you deal with this every day. How is my case any different than any other? Why are you so interested in helping me find this man?"**

**Olivia took a deep breath and looked down into her cup of tea on the table. Erin had trusted her enough to give her intimate details about her rape. Now it was Olivia's turn. And as easy as it would be to lie, she felt compelled to share her story, the truth with Erin.**

"**Several months ago I was attacked. Sort of," she began.**

"**Sort of?"**

**Olivia's phone beeped with a text alert and she send a quick reply message, then laid the phone on the table.**

"**Do you remember I told you there were four other cases?"**

"**Yes."**

"**But we didn't get any DNA evidence from the fourth one."**

**Erin nodded her head.**

"**I was the fourth victim."**

**Erin's eyes widened as she stared at Olivia.**

"**How did…"**

"**They didn't get any DNA evidence, because he didn't rape me. We're still not sure why. And I think you may have just helped us with that."**

"**If he didn't rape you then what happened?"**

"**I was in that bar in the hotel with a male friend of mine. We were drugged and ended up in a room together. This man was there as well. He sat in a chair across the room and watched as we had sex and he coached us. Erin, I wasn't raped that night. But I was violated. We both were. I was drugged and had sex with a friend, someone that I would not normally have slept with. And I now have an eight week old son. Erin, my son was conceived that night at the Biltmore Hotel. I love my son more than anything in the world and I thank God every day for bringing him to me. But there is not a day goes by that I wish the conditions of my getting pregnant had been different."**

"**And your friend? Does he see the baby?"**

"**Yes. He is an amazing father and we are still very close. But it is really scary to think that it could have just as well been this man that fathered my child that night."**

"**You are sure he didn't rape you?"**

"**Yes, but he would have. He sat there watching us and he couldn't get it up. So he walked away. I was lucky. But there were several days that I didn't know for sure what had gone on."**

"**I'm glad he didn't hurt you and that things turned out okay."**

"**Thank you. But Erin, they will for you, too. Nothing anyone ever does will change what happened to you that night. But I promise I will do whatever I can to help you through this. And if you ever need someone to talk to, someone who understands…."**

**Just then Olivia heard Maureen's voice behind her.**

"**Hi honey," she said with a smile.**

"**Hi, he was so good Liv. Didn't hardly cry at all."**

"**Good. Thank you."**

"**No problem. Bye buddy."**

**Olivia pulled the stroller up beside her chair and turned to look back at Erin across the table. **

"**I'm sorry about this. His daddy got called in to work." **

**Olivia reached down and pulled her son from the stroller and propped him on her lap to look around.**

"**It's okay. He's beautiful.**

"**Thank you. This is Noah."**

**Erin watched him and smiled as she looked at the adorable baby.**

"**He looks just like him."**

"**Like who?" Olivia asked.**

"**Like your partner. Detective Stabler."**

"**Elliot?"**

"**Yes, Detective Elliot Stabler. He does belong to your partner doesn't he?"**

**Olivia sat dumfounded for a moment unsure of what to say, but her expression said it all. **

"**Noah is my son," was all she could manage.**

"**Yes. Like I said he is beautiful."**

**Erin reached to the ground and picked up her purse tossing a few one dollar bills onto the table. **

"**You're right." Olivia finally managed to put the words together. "Elliot is his father. We never had a romantic relationship until that night. We were undercover trying to catch this guy. We were the ones who got caught. In his trap. It happened and now we have a baby together. And he is the one reason that I wouldn't take back what happened that night."**

"**Are you guys still close?"**

"**Yes, were close. And we spend as much time as possible with our baby together. He is a wonderful father."**

"**Good. At least something good came out of it. Something wonderful," Erin said reaching for Noah's hand.**

"**We're going to find him Erin. I'm not going to give up until I do."**

"**I know."**

**Erin stood and hugged Olivia, then went on her way. **


	12. 12 Helpless

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Twelve: Helpless)_

Olivia opened her eyes to the soft sounds of the baby crying in the other room. She rolled over and turned off the monitor so he wouldn't wake Elliot, as she climbed from the bed and picked up her gown from the floor and slipped it back on. She looked at Elliot asleep in the bed and leaned in to kiss him gently before heading down the hall to check on their son.

Tonight was the first time since Olivia had given birth to Noah that they had made love. Their son was now eight weeks old and between the rush at work and keeping up with appointments for the baby they hadn't really had much time alone together.

Earlier that afternoon as she got off work Olivia had gone to pick Noah up from Kathy's and then headed back to her apartment. Elliot had driven himself that morning because Olivia had to take Noah for a check up at the pediatrician's office and then went in to work a little while after that.

When she and her son arrived home, Elliot was already there. Olivia held the baby in one arm and unlocked the door balancing the diaper bag and a stack of files in her other hand. As she stepped inside and called to Elliot she noticed a vase of red long stem roses and the most wonderful aroma filling the apartment.

"Hey you," Elliot said returning from the living room where he had lit a few candles and turned on some soft romantic music to set the mood.

"Hey. What are you up to?"

"Nothing. I just realized that you and I have not had any couple time at all since our beautiful son was born."

"So, I have arranged for a nice romantic evening for mommy and daddy. Daddy is going to give Noah a bottle, then he is going into his room to watch the new movie daddy got for him."

Olivia smiled as Elliot took the baby from her arms. "Elliot it is too early for him to go to bed, he will be up again at like three in the morning and not want to go back to sleep."

"Liv, it is already after seven. By the time I feed him and play with him a little and give him his bath, it will be late enough he should sleep. Besides, I talked to Kathy and asked her to try and keep him awake more today so he would sleep good tonight."

"You did, huh?"

"Yes, I did. And I bought a bottle of your favorite wine."

"Oh El, that is really sweet. But I can't, not while I am breast feeding anyway. Just a little sip gives him a horrible belly ache."

"Well, we'll have to save it for later." Elliot kissed her lips gently. "Why don't you go relax. I have already started dinner. I am going to go change little man here and then get him a bottle."

"If you have him I might take a quick bath."

"Sure baby, take your time." Elliot winked at her. "I think my son and I are going to turn on the last of the ball game and get him fed. We got about another hour on dinner, it's in the oven."

"Well, it smells amazing, whatever it is."

"Baked Italian Chicken with mushrooms."

"Sounds good. This is such a good surprise." Olivia kissed Elliot then kissed the top of Noah's head as she handed Elliot the bottle she had heated up. "I'm going to get in the bath, I wont be too long. I want to play with him a little before he goes to bed. What movie did you buy him?"

"Umm…another Baby Einstein video. He loves them. All the bright colors, he just stares at the screen."

"He does love them. Kathy plays them for him over there, too."

Olivia ran a hot bath to soak and relax for a little while then returned to the nursery to find Elliot had finished feeding Noah and given him his bath already. He was putting a fresh diaper on his son and putting into his sleeper when Olivia came back in the room.

"Did he eat good?"

"About half the bottle."

"I'll nurse him for a little while before I lay him down." Olivia reached down and picked up her son from the changing table. She cradled him in her arms and kissed his little hands as the baby cooed.

"I'm gonna go check on dinner," Elliot said as he walked back down the hall toward the kitchen.

Olivia carried Noah back to the living room and laid him on a blanket in the floor. She scattered a few toys and a rattle around the blanket and laid in the floor to play with him. Around eight fifteen, she picked the baby up and headed down the hall to the nursery to nurse him and put him in bed.

Olivia rocked her son as she nursed him. Noah batted his dark eyelashes and closed his sleepy eyes as moved his little fingers in Olivia's hair. When the baby had fallen asleep she picked him up and tucked him into his crib, turning on the baby monitor.

When she returned Elliot had set the table with candles and they enjoyed a romantic meal. He took her by the hand and lead her into the living room where they slow danced and held each other tight. A little while later they decided to retire for the evening. They checked on the baby and turned off his television and headed down the hall to their room for a little grown up time.

Olivia smiled as she looked back at Elliot now. He had gone out of his way to make tonight special and romantic for her. And when he made love to her he was slow and sweet and gentle and amazing, taking his time with her until she was ready for him. He was the most wonderful man she had ever known and she was so lucky to have him in her life.

She walked into the nursery and checked on Noah by the glow of the night light. She reached into the crib and picked her son up in her arms as she moved to the rocking chair to rock him and nurse him for a little while. She hummed softly to the baby boy as he stared up at her with Elliot's big blue eyes.

Olivia smiled down at him as she buttoned up the front of her gown and raised the baby to her shoulder to burp him. Afterward she stood up and walked slowly around the nursery rocking him. Noah snuggled his little face in against her collar bone and began to fuss a little.

Olivia whispered softly to him and patted his little back, but things only seemed to get worse. She held the baby in her arms and carried him to the changing table to look him over. She checked his diaper again and it was fine. But the infant's sad little sobs soon became cries of anger and frustration.

Olivia watched as tiny little tears fell from Noah's eyes. She couldn't take much more of this, she hated seeing him cry and not knowing what to do to sooth him.

"Oh baby, don't cry. Mommy's sorry," she said softly as she scooped the infant up in her arms and raised him to kiss his forehead. But this time something was different. She kissed the baby again and propped him against her chest as Elliot turned on the lamp in the corner of the room.

"What's up?" He asked walking over to survey the screaming infant.

"I think he feels warm, Elliot."

Elliot leaned down to kiss the baby's forehead. Then he brushed his fingers across the Noah's flushed cheeks.

"He has a fever. Where is the thermometer?"

"In the basket under the changing table."

Elliot moved to get the thermometer while Olivia laid the baby back down on the changing table. Elliot placed the tip of the instrument into the baby's ear as Olivia tried to occupy him to keep him from moving around. Finally it beeped.

"102.6," Elliot read off the numbers as they flashed. "I'll call the pediatrician."

Olivia took a deep breath as she tried to keep from crying. This was the first time Noah had ever been sick. The thought of her baby being in pain and her not knowing what to do to make him better was almost too much. She moved to the bathroom and got a cool damp wash cloth then carried her son back to the nursery and held him in the rocking chair as she placed the cool wash cloth over his forehead in an attempt to lower his fever. She rocked him and held him tight and sang softly to him, but nothing seemed to work.

A few minutes later Elliot returned to the nursery. "He said to watch his temperature closely. Use a cool wash cloth for a few minutes," Elliot smiled upon realizing she already had one. "He wais keep that on him for a few minutes. If his temp does not go down any then try a cool bath. He said if it goes any higher or he stops nursing then bring him in. He said it is probably due to the shots he got in his appointment this morning. He said to give him baby Tylenol and watch him closely. If it continues through tomorrow or he shows signs of a cough or wheezing, bring him back in."

"So that's it? He just thinks it is because of the shots?"

"Right now, yes. And what you are doing is exactly what we need to be doing. We have to give him the medicine and wait it out."

"God, I just feel so horrible. I mean listen to him. Obviously he is in pain of some kind and I can't even help him." Elliot watched as Olivia began to cry.

"Hey, it is going to be okay. Babies get sick all of the time and they turn out fine. I'll check him again and I am sure he will calm down in a few minutes. We'll bring him into the bedroom tonight, so he is right there with us if he needs us. Baby, we are doing everything we are supposed to be going."

Olivia drew a staggered breath and nodded her head as Elliot wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I just feel so helpless," she whispered looking down at her son.

Elliot took Noah's temperature again and it had already began to lower. He gave him some medicine and Olivia rocked him in the rocking chair again.

"Why don't you try nursing him again. Just to see if that calms him any. I am going to pull the bassinette from the living room back into the bedroom and get his pacifier."

Olivia sat in the chair and rocked the baby and nursed him while she sang to him. After several minutes he had calmed down and almost gone back to sleep. She stood up and moved slowly down the hall toward their bedroom. She raised Noah to her shoulder and burped him, then rocked him gently in her arms until he had fallen back to sleep. Elliot checked his temperature one more time and then She laid the baby in the bassinette and tucked his blanket tight around him and kissed his little forehead.

Elliot slipped his arms around her waist as they stared down at the sleeping baby.

"Well, we survived our first fever," he said softly.

Olivia turned and looked up at him, her eyes full of tears once more. "I have never been so scared of anything in my life."

"You did really well, sweetheart. These things happen sometimes. And you learn from them. And the next time he has a fever, we know that things to try on our own, before we call the doctor. It is scary. But it is all part of being a parent. And there will be bumps and bruises and scraped knees and broken hearts. And each time we will learn a little more, how to handle each situation. Having babies, kids in general is scary business. You want nothing more than to be able to protect them from everything, but you can't. I love you." Elliot hugged her tight as he felt her exhale deeply.

"I love you, too. And I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here. It may have been just a little low grade fever, but it scared the hell out of me. I don't know anything about babies and fevers."

"Honey, I didn't either. Until I had kids. You will learn this. And every time he cries or gets sick, you will worry. Hell, sometimes you worry for no reason at all. But before long you will handle this like a pro. When he cries or is sick, you will just jump into mommy mode and it will all be routine."

"You think so?"

"Yes, I do."

"You are an amazing mommy. Noah is a very lucky little guy. And he knows it."

Olivia looked down at her son asleep wrapped tight in his favorite blanket and she couldn't help but smile as the baby smiled in his sleep.

"God, I have so much to learn."

"So do I."

"Do you think he is a happy baby?"

"I know he is, Liv. He is happy and healthy. All babies get fevers now and then."

"You thing we are doing a good job raising him?"

"Yes, I do. And do you now what else I think?"

"What?"

Elliot kissed the beck of her head.

"I think maybe we should get a little rest while he is asleep. We can get up again in a few hours and check him again. But if you don't get some rest, you are going to end up sick."

"Okay," Olivia said with a smile as she hugged him tight.


	13. 13 The Fear Inside

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Thirteen: The Fear Inside)_

It was early, still dark outside, when Elliot awoke to his son's happy baby sounds. He climbed from the bed and walked across the room to peer down at the little boy in the bassinette. Elliot reached down to feel Noah's forehead. He picked up the thermometer from the dresser and placed it in his son's ear. He sighed in relief to see the baby's temperature had returned to normal.

Elliot picked Noah up and held him against his chest cupping his hand against the back of the little boy's head. "Hey buddy," he said softly as the baby stared at him with big blue eyes.

Elliot carried him down the hall and into the kitchen where he warmed up a bottle. He moved to the living room and turned on the new Baby Einstein DVD he bought for his son and sat on the sofa to feed him. He held him and talked to him and burped him then returned to the bedroom placing the sleepy little boy back in the bassinette.

Two hours later Elliot opened his eyes as the sun's rays began to burst in around the blinds invading the darkened room. He turned his head to look at Olivia still sleeping soundly. Elliot smiled as his eyes fell upon the blue eyed baby boy laying between them. Olivia had given him a pacifier and laid him in the bed in hopes he would fall asleep again. Instead, she had dozed off and Noah now stared upward focusing his big eyes on his fist. He moved his fingers around as he stared at them in amazement, then put them into his mouth as he made little grunting sounds.

Elliot laughed as he watched the wonder in his son's eyes over something so simple as a tiny hand and five little fingers.

Olivia opened her eyes and yawned. "What are you up to?" She asked looking at Elliot.

"I just love watching him figure things out. Right now his fingers are the most intriguing things in the world to him. He is so adorable."

She smiled and laughed. "Your son is eight weeks old and you are just realizing how cute he is?"

"No. I have known it from the moment he was born. But he just gets cuter every time I look at him."

"Well," she said sitting up in the bed, "can you occupy him for a little bit and let me get into the shower. Give me about ten minutes or so and bring him to me. He can take a shower with mommy." She brushed her fingers across the top of the baby's head and kissed him softly.

"I wouldn't mind taking a shower with mommy," Elliot said giving her a devilish grin.

"Maybe later," she replied looking back at him over her shoulder and winking as she tied her robe around her waist and headed for the bathroom.

The next afternoon while running some errands after work Olivia had a feeling someone was following her. She kept watch over her shoulder, but never saw anyone there. Driving home she noticed a black sedan following her a few cars back. For nearly twelve blocks every turn she made the black car made, careful to stay back just far enough she could not see the driver.

Feeling a little creeped out by her newly found shadow, Olivia looked behind the passengers seat to see her son sleeping peacefully. She glanced into the rear view mirror once more and the car was still behind her.

Normally this kind of thing would not bother her. She was a cop, she carried a gun. She was not worried about a stalker. But now, today things were different. She was alone with her infant son and although she was armed, she didn't want to take any chances.

Olivia made a left turn instead of the right she usually made to go to the apartment. Moments later the black sedan turned as well. She sped up just a bit and changed lanes weaving in and out of traffic, but she could not shake her shadow. She took a deep breath and looked back at little Noah once more.

"Mommy's sorry baby," she mumbled softly as she sped up and took a sharp turn. She sped four more blocks with the not so subtle follower hot on her tracks. For a couple of moments the car pulled up beside her as a tall man motioned for her to pull over. A glare of sunlight off something flickered, preventing her from seeing his face.

"Got to Hell," she said fumbling in her purse for her cell phone. As she did the purse fell into the floor spilling its contents all over the floorboard. "Shit!"

Before long the car slowed just enough to fall behind her again. The driver followed her closely a few more blocks then moved up as if he were going to pass her. Instead, the man sped his car up and clipped the back bumper of Olivia's car in an attempt to force her off the road.

"God damn it!" She yelled gripping the wheel tight and swerving scraping a few parked cars as she tried not to lose control of her car. Olivia felt her heart racing as she prayed no one stepped out into the street.

Olivia slammed on her breaks leaving black skid marks as she slammed the car into park and ran around to the back seat. She pulled the now crying infant from his seat and held him tight against her as she ran up the steps and into the lobby of the 16th precinct. She cradled Noah in her arms as she felt warm tears streaming down her face. As she stumbled from the elevator she slammed into Fin in the hall.

"Olivia, what the Hell is going on?"

She held the baby tight and bounced him a little trying to calm him.

"Liv, are you guys alright?" Fin asked looking into her eyes.

But she was so shaken up she could barely speak. Elliot and Cragen walked out of the bullpen to the sound of the screaming baby.

"What the Hell happened?" Elliot asked Fin.

"I can't get her to talk to me," Fin replied as Elliot grabbed Olivia and turned her to look into her eyes. "Liv, tell me what's wrong!"

"There was a man! He hit my car," were the only words she managed to form.

"I'm on it," Fin said catching the elevator back to the ground floor to check for signs of her attacker.

Olivia gasped and tried to pull herself together to be able to explain to them what had happened. But she honestly was not sure what had happened.

Elliot wrapped his arms around her and lead her to her desk to sit down. He placed his jacket over her shoulders and took Noah from her.

"Hey pal," he said kissing the baby's forehead. "It's okay now. Mommy was scared, too. But daddy's here now and everything is going to be okay."

Noah grunted and whined but calmed his cries.

Elliot called Fin. "Hey man, can you bring the diaper bag and baby carried up from her car?"

"Sure. Listen, Elliot. There is some severe damage to both sides of her car. Someone definitely hit her. I see no signs of anyone though. When I got down here her car was still running and the back door on the passenger side was standing open. The baby carrier on the sidewalk, I am guessing from when she pulled Noah out. Her purse is still in the front floorboard, wallet and cell phone, everything is here. For right now I am going to pull her car around, park it and lock it up. I'll toss the stuff back into her purse and grab the baby's things. I'll be up in a minute. Elliot, if this freak show hit her this hard it was not just a warning. He was trying to force her off the road. You shouldn't let her go home alone."

"I don't plan on it. Not at least until I have some idea what is going on." Elliot hung up the phone and sat a cup of coffee down on the desk in front of her. Olivia was still shaking as she reached to pick up the cup. She looked up at Cragen holding little Noah across the room and she began to cry again.

"Hey," Elliot said kneeling beside her. "Are you sure you are okay?"

Olivia took a staggered breath and nodded her head.

"He is fine, Liv. He is safe, because you protected him."

"I panicked," she whispered. "I was so scared."

"I know baby," Elliot said tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and wiping away a tear. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was doing some shopping and it was like I could feel someone watching me. But I didn't see him until I got into the car and was driving home. Noah was asleep in his carrier and I noticed the car following me. I drove several blocks, but once I was sure he was following me I turned back and headed here. I was alone with the baby. I didn't think I could get inside before he made it to the door." She exhaled deeply.

"Good thinking."

"As I got closer he followed me in and out of traffic. We were going so fast. He pulled up beside my car and motioned for me to pull over. I told him to go to Hell. I couldn't see his face, there was a glare. But I could tell he was tall and had dark hair. A white male probably in his forties. I reached for my phone and my purse fell into the floor. He got behind me again and followed me a little longer. Then he pulled up beside me and slammed into the back quarter panel of my car. I swerved trying to keep control of the car and I clipped a couple of parked cars on the passenger side. Noah was screaming, he was so scared. I pulled up out front and grabbed the baby. All I could think was to get him inside. I left the door open and everything inside. I was so scared, Elliot."

Elliot smoothed his hands up and down her arms and kissed her forehead. Fin sat the carrier down on her desk with her purse and the diaper bag.

"Thanks Fin," she said with a weary smile.

"No problem. I moved your car into the parking lot and locked it up. He did quite a bit of damage. All cosmetic, though. It still runs."

"Why don't you go into the cribs where it is quiet and give Noah a bottle. I have about twenty minutes left here then I'm taking the two of you home with me. Tomorrow we'll swing by your apartment and grab the bassinette and some clothes. I just want you out of there for a few days. Try to calm down, alright?"

"Okay."

"I am going downstairs to see if any of our outside cameras caught a clear shot of that car as it blew past here. See if I can get a match on a plate. Hang in there, Liv. We're going to get to the bottom of this."

Olivia took Noah back and laid him on a bottom bunk to change him. She reached into the diaper bag and got out a bottle of breast milk and climbed across the bed to lean against the wall. She held Noah in her arms and kissed him as she spoke softly to him.

"Mommy loves you Noah. We're safe here." She placed the bottle into the baby's mouth. At first he hesitated to the room temperature milk that had not been warmed to his liking. But after a few moments he began to drink the bottle. She rocked him gently in her arms and a several minutes later she held a sleeping baby and an empty bottle.

Olivia laid Noah on the bed, resting his little head on the pillow. She pulled his blanket from the diaper bag and tucked it tight around him, then laid back on the bed beside him. She took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to think of any reason someone would want to run her off the road. Only one thing came to mind.

She and Elliot had been working the last few weeks on their case. Talking to other victims of their attacker. Gathering tiny fragments of memories from more than a dozen victims until finally they were able to put together a composite sketch. The day before, Olivia had taken the sketch to the hotel where all of this had began so many months ago and showed it around to all of the employees trying to see if any of them may recognize the man as a guest. It was very clear now, that someone didn't want her snooping around the Biltmore Hotel.


	14. 14 Life Gets In The Way

_**Pretty Poison**_

_**(Chapter Fourteen: Life Gets In The Way)**_

**Olivia walked down the hall from the bathroom to check on Noah asleep on Elliot's bed surrounded by the wall of pillows she had built up around him. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on the baby's cheek.**

"**Mommy loves you angel," she whispered softly. **

**She tossed her towel across the end of the bed and slipped into one of Elliot's button down shirts. She opened the dresser drawers until she found a black plastic comb and ran it through her soft wet locks, then tossed it back onto the dresser.**

**Moments later Olivia returned to the living room to find Elliot watching the end of a football game on television.**

"**How you feeling?"**

"**I'm okay. Just tired, worried." She sat on the arm of the couch and looked at him.**

**Elliot placed his hand on her knee. "We are going to get to the bottom of this, Liv. Fin and Munch were able to get a shot of the car from the surveillance video. They are going over it right now, frame by frame to try to find something we can use to track this guy down. I wish you could just relax."**

"**Relax? Elliot, some maniac tried to run me off the road today. And our son was in the car. I can't relax."**

"**I know, Liv. I know. I didn't mean that…. Come here," Elliot said raising his hand and placing it into hers. He pulled her into his arms and just held her for a moment. "Just breathe, baby. Right now, we need to focus on our family. You and me and Noah. I know you are scared, Olivia, I am too. But everyone in our department is working to track this guy down. I'm just saying that, even if it is just for tonight, we should try to focus on our family. Let those guys worry about the case." Elliot kissed her tenderly. "I'm going to go set up the bassinet in the bedroom. I grabbed the baby monitor, it is in the your duffel bag with your clothes. I'm going to move Noah to his bed and jump in the shower. Why don't you go on to bed and try and get some rest? Or I packed your book and there are dozens of movies on."**

"**Yeah," she said softly running her fingers through her hair. "Thank you for going to get our stuff, Elliot. We probably could have made it one night with out it, but I think Noah will sleep better in his bassinette than he does between us in the bed."**

"**And I know you will sleep better this way. And I scoped out the apartment, I didn't see any strange cars." **

**Olivia pressed her lips together, then stood to follow him down the hall to the bedroom. Elliot turned on the bedside lamp to get the bassinette ready for the baby. As he did Noah began to stir. Olivia kissed her son's forehead then changed him and sat on the bed to nurse him before laying him down in his bed for the night. **

"**I'm going to jump in the shower real quick," Elliot said leaning down to kiss her. "I love you."**

"**I love you, too."**

"**Night buddy," Elliot said kissing his son.**

**Olivia finished nursing Noah and burped him. Before long he was sound asleep once more. She climbed into the bed and turned on the television and turned off the light. She exhaled softly and tried to relax, but it was no use. She grabbed the baby monitor and headed down the hallway to talk to Elliot as she heard the shower shut off.**

"**Hey," she said pushing the door open slowly.**

"**How's Noah?" he asked cleaning the water from his ears with a cotton swab.**

"**Sound asleep."**

"**Good. He's a tough little kid."**

"**He shouldn't have to be."**

"**Did you really expect anything else? Look at what we go through every day. He came from two pretty tough parents. He fine, Liv. All of this will pass and he will never even remember it."**

"**I know, I just hate that he is even exposed to stuff like this. He is just a little baby."**

"**But he is very loved and very protected by everyone around him. No one is going to hurt him, Olivia. I promise you that. I'm gonna make sure of it." Elliot hugged her tight. **

**Olivia nestled her forehead against his bare chest as he held her. "I just thank God that Noah and I have you. That we decided to give this a try and raise our son together. Because I don't know how I could have made it through the pregnancy, let alone these past eight weeks without you. I love you so much."**

**Elliot raised her to sit on the counter and rested his forehead against hers to stare into her eyes. "I love you too, Olivia Benson." He cupped his hand against her cheek and kissed her tenderly. He slipped his hands under her butt and pulled her to him. **

**Olivia laughed and sighed as he kissed under her chin. "Like I said, you just need to relax."**

"**It's just not that easy, Elliot."**

"**I know. I have heard that," he said with a smile as he brushed his nose against hers. "But I think I know how I can help you out with that."**

**Elliot pulled her knees up under his arms and leaned her back against the steamy mirror, moving in to kiss her once more. Olivia giggled and moaned as Elliot kissed under her neck. He moved his hand up her thigh and slid her panties down her legs until the fell into the floor.**

**He reached up and unbuttoned the shirt until it gaped open revealing her warm golden skin underneath. Elliot stared into her eyes and placed his fingertips against her lips. He dragged them gently down her chin, under her neck, across her collarbone and down between her breasts.**

"**You are so beautiful," Elliot whispered raising her body to hold it against his. **

**He pressed his mouth to hers as Olivia stretched her arms around his neck and tipped her head allowing him access to her neck once more. He reached town and unwrapped the towel from around his waist dropping it to the cold tile of the bathroom floor. **

**Elliot moved forward and slid her hips in to him as he entered her. Olivia moaned softly and leaned back against the mirror once more. She held tight to his lower back as he sped up his movements inside her. Olivia gasped and bit her lower lip as she turned her eyes to look at the baby monitor laying beside them on the counter.**

"**El," she panted.**

"**He's asleep baby. He makes one sound and we'll know." Elliot stopped for a moment and rested his hand beside her head against the bathroom mirror. He stared into her eyes for and kissed her gently. "You want to stop?"**

**She looked down at the monitor again, then looked back at Elliot. "No," she gasped softly. "He's okay."**

**Moments later he had her moaning again. Olivia gasped for breath as he crashed is body against hers. She reached back over her head smearing the steamed mirror with her fingertips as she sighed and curled her toes against Elliot's calf muscles. **

**Elliot pulled her up to him again. He placed one hand behind the back of her head and tangled his fingers in her hair as he kissed her passionately. Olivia smoothed her hands down his strong muscular back and onto his ass. She moaned as she clawed at it and pulled him harder into her, rocking her body against his. **

**She smiled and giggled a bit as she felt beads of sweat trickling down his freshly showered body. Elliot kept his movements hard and strong watching the flicker in her eyes as she pressed her forehead to his once more. A few more thrusts and he dropped his hands to rest on each side of her. **

**He stopped moving as she gasped to catch her breath. Elliot took a step back, pulling out of her and just stared at her for a moment. She sat on the edge of the bathroom counter with a look of disappointment on her face, her eyes pleading for more. Still wearing his button down shirt, every button undone. The white pinstriped material gently shrouding her nipples as it hung down, but revealing the inner curve of her full breast. Her white cotton panties in a crumpled mass on the floor beneath her feet. **

**Her breathing had returned to normal now as she stared at him, her eyes glazed over from the intoxication of their union. Elliot reached out for her hand locking his fingers in hers. He pulled her from the counter and lead her down the hall into the bedroom. He laid her across the bed and began to lower himself to her.**

"**Noah," she said softly staring into Elliot's eyes. **

**They had never made love with the baby in the room before. Elliot pulled back and raised up on the bed. He stood up and walked to the bassinette to look in on their infant son. He brushed his fingertip across the baby's head and tucked his blanket in around him.**

**He walked back to the bed, crawling in over the top of Olivia and sliding her hips down to him. He kissed her with soft little kisses as she smiled up at him. "He's sound asleep." Elliot lowered himself on to her and was inside her once more.**

"**What if we wake him up?" She whispered.**

"**We'll just have to be quiet. No screaming," he said with a laugh. "And if he does wake up then daddy will just have to explain to him why daddy making mommy moan is really a good thing."**

**Olivia laughed. "He's a little young for the sex talk, El."**

"**It is never too early to talk with your kids about sex and drugs. Don't you have cable?"**

**She laughed again and draped her arm around his neck as she placed a passionate kiss on his lips. "Concentrate," she said seductively staring into him with her chocolate eyes. They made love for hours that night, until their bodies just couldn't handle anymore and demanded sleep. Olivia curled up in his arms and in moments was sound asleep.**

**The next morning she opened her eyes to look at her son laying between them in the bed. Noah had gotten mommy and daddy up in the wee hours of the morning to be fed and changed. Olivia sat up to nurse him as Elliot slipped on his boxers and moved to the living room to locate the diaper bag in the dark. **

**She reached out and traced her finger over the curve of the baby's cheek as he closed his fist around her finger. "Good morning angel," she cooed softly to her son.**

"**Well, good morning to you, too."**

**She smiled at Elliot. "I was talking to our son."**

**Elliot cupped his hand against the side of her face and leaned in to kiss her. He dragged his hand down her shoulder and across the strap of the satin night gown she now wore. Elliot looked at her as the sunlight shined of the copper strands of her hair.**

"**I have something," he said smiling at her.**

"**You have what?" She asked playing along.**

**Elliot rolled over and picked up a small box off the nightstand beside the bed and laid it on the pillow Noah was laying on. It was a black velvet box with a gold ribbon. **

"**What is this?"**

"**A gift. Noah helped me pick it out."**

"**He did, huh?"**

"**Open it."**

**Olivia held up the box and smiled at him over it as she untied the ribbon. She raised the lid and stared inside it for a few moments with out a word. After a minute her eyes shifted to meet Elliot's. **

"**I had a nice romantic dinner planned at your apartment. Candles and roses and music and I was going to cook for you. Then everything then life kind of got in the way when that crazed man tried to run you off the road. Then I was going to wait for some spontaneous perfect moment and just drop to one knee. Then I woke up with you here next to me this morning. And our beautiful baby asleep in the bed between us and I realized that no moment could ever be a wonderful as this one. This was my perfect moment. Olivia, you are my best friend and the mother of my child. I live for you and I could never live without you. I wouldn't want to. With this ring I am offering you a promise of forever. My life, my heart, my love. Always. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in the world. And I want to fall asleep next to you every night and wake beside you every morning for the rest of my life. And if every morning of the rest of my life started like this one, I would be the happiest man in the world. Olivia, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"**

**She stared into his eyes and smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. She looked down at little Noah cooing in the bed between them. Elliot was the only man she had ever really loved and the father of her child. The man she hoped would father her future children. She wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with him. She took a deep breath as she looked into his eyes.**

"**Yes." **


	15. 15 Apprehension

_**Pretty Poison**_

_**(Chapter Fifteen: Apprehension)**_

**It had been four days since her high speed car chase with a stranger through the streets of Manhattan and today was the first day since that Olivia had gone back to work. She sat at her desk staring down at her phone as if anticipating it's ring, but it never came. She picked up her pen and put it to the blank page in front of her, but somehow her thoughts had escaped her. **

"**What's wrong?" Elliot asked sitting a fresh cup of coffee down in front of her.**

"**Nothing," she said forcing a smile.**

**Elliot picked up the phone and placed it in her hand. "Call her."**

"**What?"**

"**Kathy. You are worried about Noah. Call Kathy."**

"**No, no. I don't want her to feel like I don't trust her. Like I'm checking up on her."**

"**Olivia, you are not gonna be able to focus on your work until you know."**

"**She said she would call me if anything was out of the ordinary."**

"**Call Kathy."**

**Olivia looked up at him as he towered above her using his most fatherly voice. He knew her better than she even knew herself and in times like this, that was a good thing.**

"**I'll call her," she said with a smile as Elliot tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gently kissed her lips. **

**Olivia picked up her phone and dialed Kathy's house number. Once Kathy had assured her everything was fine and Noah was napping peacefully, Olivia felt confident she could return to work.**

**She laid her cell phone down beside the computer monitor and began to fill out her paperwork. But a few minutes later as she sat typing up a report, she got that feeling again. **

"**Elliot," she whispered across the desk careful not to let anyone else hear her.**

"**Yeah?" He answered without looking away from his computer screen.**

"**El?"**

"**Yeah?" He said a little louder.**

**Olivia pressed her lips together and stared at him but he refused to look at her. She looked around the room at the people buzzing around her. If she said something and anyone overheard her they would all think she was crazy.**

**She opened the screen for the instant messenger on her computer, Elliot was signed in. She tapped her fingertip against the mouse for a second debating her best approach to the situation. Then she opened the message window.**

**Benson4105: Elliot. Something is wrong. **

**Stabler6313: What's wrong?**

**Elliot looked up at her across the desk as he heard the chime of her reply on the screen.**

**Benson4105: I don't want anyone to overhear us.**

**Stabler6313: Are you sick?**

**Benson4105: No. **

**He looked at her across the desk again and whispered to her. "Is it your period?"**

"**God, no!" Olivia turned and looked as people began to stare at her wondering exactly what it was she was yelling about. "Forget it."**

**She stood up and walked toward the ladies room not completely sure she wasn't going to be sick. A few minutes later there was a gently tap on the door and she heard Elliot's voice.**

"**Liv?"**

**He walked in locking the door behind him and made his way to the farthest stall where he found her slumped on the floor holding her stomach.**

"**You okay?"**

"**I'll be fine," she mumbled trying to hide the tears in her eyes.**

**Elliot sat down in the floor beside her. "Olivia, what is wrong?"**

"**I don't know. I just have this horrible feeling. I have all morning. Kathy said the baby is fine and now I feel almost sick. Something is wrong, Elliot."**

**He stared at her as tears began to fall from her eyes.**

"**Why don't you go home?"**

"**No, it will pass."**

"**Liv, it is probably just stress. Kathy has Noah. I will pick him up before I come home. Go home. Take a hot bath. Relax and get some rest. Have some you time. Without me and the baby to look after."**

**Olivia stared straight ahead and didn't even blink. **

"**You really think I am over reacting?"**

"**No. I think you are stressed out. You are worried about this case. And ten other cases. And the baby. You are wearing yourself thin, Olivia. Look at you, you are shaking. I think you just need some time alone to focus on you."**

"**I just feel like something awful is about to happen, Elliot. I don't know how to explain it. You should call and check on the kids."**

"**I will. And I will check on Noah again. I want you to go home and get some rest." **

**Elliot moved over beside her and held her for a few minutes until she had calmed down. He kissed her tenderly and stared into her eyes. "I love you so much."**

"**I love you too," she whispered. "Do you think I am crazy?"**

"**What?"**

"**I have these feelings and they seem so real. Do you think that makes me crazy?"**

**Elliot smiled and massaged her shoulders. "No. I think those feelings are what makes you such a good cop and mother. Olivia, our little boy is safe. I am sure all of the kids are. I will call and check on them. Please go home and relax."**

"**Okay," she said softly.**

**Elliot stood up and helped her to her feet. He wrapped her tight in his arms and kissed her again.**

"**Maybe I should drive you."**

"**No, El. I am fine now. I think maybe it was just nerves. Like you said, stress. I am fine. I'll drive home and call you when I get there. Besides we brought both cars this morning."**

"**I don't care about the loaner car, Liv. We could leave it parked here and pick it up tomorrow."**

"**Elliot, I said I am fine."**

"**Okay." He lead her back to her locker where she gathered her things and got ready to leave. "Call me when you get home," Elliot reminded her with a smile. **

"**I will. Promise."**

**He looked down at his watch. It was just after twelve thirty. "Noah and I will be home around five thirty. I will bring dinner with us."**

"**I love you," she said twisting his tie in her fingers.**

"**I love you, too."**

"**Be careful, El."**

"**I will baby."**

**Elliot hugged her tight and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Then he watched as she climbed onto the elevator. **


	16. 16 Roses, Are Red

_**Pretty Poison**_

_**(Chapter Sixteen: Roses, Are Red)**_

**Olivia walked into the apartment and kicked off her shoes. She tossed her keys on the table beside the lamp and pressed the button on the answering machine to play back the one new message.**

"**Liv, it's me. You left your phone on your desk. I just wanted to call and make sure you made it home okay. And to let you know that I called Kathy and checked on Noah and the other kids. Noah is currently being entertained by Elizabeth, while Dickie and Eli play video games. I got messages form both of the older girls they are fine. Maureen is in class and Kathleen is at work. All is well. Give me a call when you get this. I love you, baby."**

**She smiled and picked the cordless phone up from the charger as she made her way down the hall and started a hot bath. **

"**El, I just got your message."**

"**I told you there was nothing to be worried about," he said calmly. "What are you doing?"**

"**Running a bath," she said as she tossed a towel on the counter and stepped out of her black slacks. **

"**How do you feel?"**

"**Better. I don't know what was going on. But I feel fine now. A little tired. But otherwise, fine."**

"**Good. You get some rest. I have to go for now. I'll call you later. I love you."**

"**Okay. I love you, too."**

**She hung up the phone and shut off the water as she slipped into the tub. She exhaled deeply as she smoothed her fingertips over the goose bumps that now surfaced on her skin from the heat of the water. She picked up a damp wash cloth and tipped her head back placing it over her face to help her relax. **

**After a twenty minute bath, Olivia wrapped herself in a towel and carried the phone down the hall to the bedroom where she put on a pair of pajama pants and a tee shirt. She laid down on top of the bed and closed her eyes trying to fall asleep. But sleep didn't come. After half an hour of trying unsuccessfully she sat up in the bed.**

"**This is crazy," she said aloud. "I am fine." **

**She walked to the closet and put on a pair of jogging pants, then picked up the phone.**

"**Kathy, it's Liv. Listen I wasn't feeling well earlier and I came home early. But I am fine now. I'm gonna go ahead and come get Noah. I'll be there shortly."**

**She hung up the phone and slipped her tennis shoes back on as she dialed Elliot's cell number. But it went to voicemail.**

"**You have reached the voice mail box for Detective Elliot Stabler. Please leave your name, number and a message and I will call you back as soon as I can."**

**She listened for the beep then began her message. "Hey there Detective Stabler," she said in a seductive voice, "you sure sound sexy. Maybe if you aren't too awful busy later you could stop by for a visit. You can read me my rights and frisk me, don't forget the handcuffs." She laughed as she broke character. "No, I was just calling to let you know that I took a hot bath and I feel much better. I think I am going to go get Noah. I have already called Kathy to let her know. I will see you later. I love you."**

**She hung the phone back on the charger and grabbed her car keys and was out the door again.**

**After picking up Noah from Kathy's, Olivia realized they were almost out of diapers and stopped off at the corner store on her way home. She grabbed a few things for the house, but couldn't help but feel as if someone was staring at her. She looked around, but the only person in sight was a man two aisles down with a cane and a bad leg. She shook it off and went on with her shopping. She carried her son to the cash register and unloaded the items from her basket onto the conveyor. **

**Olivia made small talk with the teenaged cashier who talked baby talk to Noah and went on and on about how adorable he was. Then a clerk from the store carried out her groceries for her as she buckled the baby back into his carrier. She tipped the young gentleman then climbed into the car and headed home.**

**Inside Olivia put away her groceries, then sat down for some one on one time with her baby boy. She sat on the sofa and nursed Noah for a little while, then carried him to the nursery to change him and get him ready for a bath. After his bath Olivia laid down across her bed with the baby. **

**Before long, Noah was asleep. But once again, Olivia found herself restless. She climbed from the bed and piled pillows around Noah so he wouldn't roll off. She walked down the hall toward the nursery and sat in the rocking chair for a while to pump some breast milk for bottles later. She carried the milk into the kitchen and placed it into the refrigerator. **

**Just then she heard a knock at the door. She shook her head and smiled. Elliot must have stopped by to check on her. He must have left his keys in the car with Fin. She reached to open the door, but as she did something told her to look through the peek hole first. She leaned forward and looked through the door, but all she could see was the front of a hat.**

**She placed her palm against the door and called out, "who's there?"**

"**East Side Florist, ma'am. I have a delivery for an Olivia Benson." **

**Something didn't feel right about this and Olivia reached down for her gun as she reached to open the door. But she left work in such a hurry she had left her gun in her desk drawer. Her off duty weapon was in the glove box of her rental car in the parking lot. She was alone with the baby and unarmed.**

**She raised up to look through the hole at the man again. "I don't want a delivery, thank you." She bit her lip nervously and watched as the man attempted to look through the hole at her. **

"**Aww ma'am. Somebody paid a lot of money for these beautiful roses. I am sure he'd be really hurt if you refused them."**

**She leaned against the door for a moment. He was probably right. She was probably over reacting and Elliot probably sent the flowers because he knew she wasn't feeling well earlier.**

"**Just leave them by the door," she ordered the man.**

"**Yes ma'am," he replied.**

**And Olivia watched as he sat them down and disappeared from her sight. She listened for a few moments as the footsteps moved away from her door and she heard the elevator door close. **

**She opened the door cautiously and picked up the vase with the large arrangement of roses. She smiled and stepped back inside locking the door behind her and sitting them on the table. She searched them for a moment until she found a card, but it was unsigned. **

**Olivia shook her head and smiled as she picked up the phone again. She dialed Elliot's cell number as she walked back to the bedroom to check on Noah, sleeping like an angel.**

"**Hello," Elliot said as he focused his attention on the wall to wall traffic in front of him.**

"**Hello," she repeated. "What are you doing?"**

"**We got a lead on the car that chased you down. Well kind of."**

"**You do?"**

"**The plates on the car are stolen. But Munch is playing with his computer game now trying to clean up a few of the images of the car. There is a parking sticker in the window. If we can see what it says, we might be able to see where the car was stolen from. I am assuming if this moron is smart enough to steal the plates he stole the car also. I am on my way back from Jersey, from talking with the man the plates are registered to."**

"**Listen I know you are busy, I just wanted to call and thank you for the beautiful roses."**

"**What roses?"**

"**Don't be coy, Elliot. Who else would have sent them? They are only the most beautiful red roses I have ever seen."**

"**Liv, I swear. It wasn't me."**

"**That isn't funny."**

"**Olivia, I am not trying to be funny. When was the last time I sent you red roses?"**

"**Well," she thought for a moment, "never."**

"**No. When I send them I send white, because I know they are your favorite. I didn't send them."**

"**What the hell? Then who…" there was a click and the phone line went dead. Olivia looked down at the receiver in her hand. "Elliot?" She said pressing the talk button on the phone to switch lines, but there was nothing. "Fuck," she said as she grabbed her stomach feeling an all too familiar pain.**

**She doubled over for a moment leaning against the wall in the hallway as she heard another knock at the door. She raised her eyes to look at it as she panted in panic. **

"**Whose there?" She asked as she tried again to look through the hole in the door.**

"**East Side Florist, again ma'am."**

"**Now what?"**

"**I am afraid I need you to sign for the delivery. I forgot to have you do that before. I need the signature for my records."**

"**Look, I am really busy. Can't I come in later and do it?"**

"**No, ma'am. I am afraid my boss wouldn't like that much. I need the signature on the slip or I don't get paid for the delivery. I could lose my job."**

"**I am sorry. I can't right now."**

**She listened to the silence for a moment. Then there was another angry pound on the door.**

"**Come on lady, I aint got all day!"**

"**I said no! And if you don't leave right now I am calling the police!"**

"**Now you wouldn't do a thing like that," he said then was quiet for a moment.**

"**Yes, I would! Go away!"**

"**No, Olivia. You wouldn't call the police," the voice said calmly and deeply, "because you're phone is out."**

"**Oh my God," she whispered as tears rolled down her face.**

"**Please go away," she mumbled against the door.**

**She raised up to look through the hole at the man once more. This time she saw his face. This time she remembered where she had seen him before. The mysterious man outside her door was the crippled man from the supermarket. He was the man who had chased her through town days earlier and nearly run her off the road. And he was the man who was in the hotel room with she and Elliot the night Noah was conceived.**

"**Open the God damned door!" The man yelled as he pounded against it. Olivia ran down the hall toward the bedroom. She scooped up Noah into her arms and frantically searched for a way to escape. But there was no time. **

**She pulled the extra pillows from the bed and carried the baby into the bathroom. Three minutes later she stood in the hallway with a knife in her hand and watched as the man busted in the door gaining entry to her apartment. **

**He pointed a gun in her face, her gun. The off duty weapon from the glove box and demanded she drop the knife. He leaned toward her and Olivia swiped it at him cutting across his arm. He moved forward backing her up into the living room where she stumbled backwards almost falling. As she did he hit her across the face with the gun and grabbed her. **

**He pulled her to the ground and they struggled as he tried to get the kitchen knife from her hand and she swung it wildly, covering them both in small cuts. The man got her down on the floor and got the knife from her hand. He held her down for a moment and stared into her eyes.**

"**You remember me now, don't you?"**

"**I remember you. You were the one who couldn't get it up back at the hotel room," she yelled as she spit in his face. **

**He slapped her hard across the face and adjusted her to hold her tighter. **

"**Now Detective Benson, that isn't very lady like. Especially toward a gentleman who just spent a large amount of money to buy you your favorite flowers."**

**He lowered himself over her as if her were about to kiss her.**

"**My favorite flowers are white roses, dick head!" She screamed as she buried her knee in his groin and raced toward the door.**

**But she didn't get far. Only a few feet away before he grabbed her ankle and pulled her to the ground again. He flipped her over and tried to pin her to the floor again as she hit him in the nose with the heel of her hand feeling it break as blood poured all over the carpet. "Fuck you!"**

**She turned to go again, but he leaped toward her taking her down once more. This time he pinned her on the floor on her stomach and had a hand full of her hair in his fist. "Listen bitch! I would love nothing more than to put a bullet in your head right now! But I am trying to be a little understanding! I just want what I cam for! What is rightfully mine!"**

**He flipped her over and picked her up by the throat slamming her against the wall and holding her there. Olivia gasped for air and couldn't breathe. She stared into his eyes as she felt tears roll down her face. **

**She clawed at his hands in panic unable to breath, operating now on adrenaline alone when everything in her body wanted to collapse from the lack of oxygen. **

"**What do you want?" She breathed with almost no sound as he loosened his grip just before she passed out.**

**He held her there against the wall limp like a rag doll. She was weak and completely at his mercy as her bottom lip quivered and she knew what he would say.**

"**My son."**

**Half an hour later Munch and Fin arrived at the apartment followed by two uniformed officers. The moved around inside, but there was no sign of Olivia or the baby. The apartment had been trashed and there was blood everywhere. The nursery had been tossed and all of the furniture in the apartment flipped and scattered. **

"**Someone was looking for something," Fin said looking at the busted pieces of bed frame all over the bedroom. **

"**You can't tell me someone breaks down a door, trashes an apartment and kidnaps a woman and her baby in broad daylight and no one saw anything!" Munch growled.**

"**This is New York. People who see things end up dead," Fin reminded him. "They probably locked their doors and listened to her scream. Nobody even tried to help her."**

**As they were talking, Fin's cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and looked back up at Munch. "It's Elliot. What the hell am I gonna tell him?" He opened the phone and placed it to his ear as they walked around the apartment searching for any clue as to where this mystery man may have taken Olivia and her son.**

"**Elliot, I have some bad news. He got her. Baby's gone, too. I am so sorry, man. I got a dozen uniforms on their way and the building sealed off. Somebody has to know something and we are going to find out what it is."**

**Just then John Munch looked up from the floor. "Shhhhhh!" He said demanding silence in the room. He walked back down the hallway toward the bedroom to the sound of a baby crying. **

"**Do you guys hear that?" He asked the officers as they spanned out in the nursery and bedroom trying to find the baby. Munch followed the muffled cries into the bathroom off the master bedroom. He listened and leaned down opening the cabinet under the sink. There in a pile of clean towels from the linen closet surrounded by pillows was little Noah.**

"**Elliot," Fin said, "we got Noah."**


	17. 17 Unbroken

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Seventeen: Unbroken)_

Elliot flashed his badge and entered Olivia's apartment building. The elevator was taking too long so he raced up the five flights of stairs. As he approached the apartment his heart caught in his throat.

The door had been busted in and the chain from the lock dangled against the wall. The furniture was strewn all over the room and a bloody hand print screamed at him from the white wall across the room. Olivia's hand print. This fact was made obvious by the fact that this hand print was much smaller than the one above it on the wall.

Elliot held his breath for a moment to steady himself as the impatient cries of his infant son called to him from the back of the apartment. He walked down the hall passing the crime scene techs as they dusted for prints and searched for evidence. He entered the bedroom where John Munch held his screaming child, bouncing him gently trying to calm him.

"Hey pal," Elliot said softly taking the baby in his arms. He looked down at Noah as tiny little tears fell from his eyes. "It's okay now, buddy. Daddy is here." He held his son against his collar bone and gently patted his back, but Noah continued to cry.

"I tried everything, Elliot. I changed his diaper, but that didn't help. Then I got some milk from the refrigerator and gave him a bottle. No luck."

Elliot kissed his son's forehead as Noah continued to cry impatiently. The baby raised his little eyes up to stare at Elliot as if pleading with him to make it better. Elliot picked up the bottle and looked down at it for a minute. He walked to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door to stare inside.

"Munch, the milk for the bottle, where did you get it?"

"From the carton, right there. Two percent. Same place you get it."

Elliot smiled down at his son and kissed him again. "Hold on pal, daddy will fix it."

He poured out the milk from the bottle Munch had made and rinsed the bottle. He then reached to shelf and pulled out a plastic cup like container and took off the lid. He poured the milky white liquid into the bottle and sat it into a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.

Elliot picked up the bottle and cradled the baby in his arms as he slipped the nipple into Noah's mouth. Munch watched as the baby raised his hands and placed them on the bottle. Noah drank the milk from the bottle and grunted contently as he stared up at Elliot.

"There now," Elliot said softly as he carried the baby down the hall once more.

"How did you do that?" Munch asked confused.

"He doesn't take regular milk."

"What is that?"

"Breast milk. Olivia breast feeds the baby," Elliot said walking into the nursery. He sat the rocking chair upright and sat down rocking his son as he stared into the little boy's eyes.

****

Olivia opened her eyes. Her head was pounding and the dark room around her was spinning. The ache in her breasts told her that somewhere her hungry baby was crying for her. She groaned placing her palm against her forehead as she raised up to inspect her surroundings.

She was in a small room. With concrete walls all around her. A basement or a cellar. She smoothed her hands along the wall in the darkness until she found something, anything.

It was a light switch. She flipped the switch as the bulb dangling from the ceiling across the room flickered. She looked around the room.

In one corner was the small cot she had been laying on when she woke up. Above her a large metal air vent that carried heat and air conditioning to the home above her. On one wall was a small metal plate with a handle. It was a coal shoot. She was inside an old coal room.

Olivia pulled on the handle as hard as she could, but it was useless. "Shit," she mumbled as she groaned in pain and raised her hand to the back of her head. She pulled her hand back to look at it and noticed the blood from the wound she had sustained when her attacker hit her with the gun, knocking her unconscious. She stood up and began to pound on the door and call for help. But she quickly became dizzy. Olivia leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor where she passed out again.

****

Elliot carried his son around the precinct as he did whatever he could to keep himself busy. As Noah drifted off to sleep, Elliot sat him in his carrier and sat it on Olivia's desk in front of him. He sat down at his desk and picked up his cell phone replaying the voicemail she had left him just hours before she disappeared.

"Hey there Detective Stabler," her voice was sweet and sexy. He listened painfully with tears in his eyes as he heard her laugh. "I was just calling to let you know that I took a hot bath and I feel much better. I think I am going to go get Noah. I have already called Kathy to let her know. I will see you later. I love you."

"I love you too baby," Elliot whispered as a tear fell onto the desk beside his hand.

"Elliot," Fin said as he approached the desk.

Elliot wiped his misty eyes and turned to look at his friend. "We gotta find her, Fin. This freak could really hurt her. He is insane."

"We got something," Fin said looking at the baby asleep on the desk. "You're gonna want to see this." He held up a file in his hand.

"What have you got?" Elliot asked.

"We traced the parking tag on the car."

"It's stolen?"

"Yes."

"From?"

"Mercy Hospital. Maintenance department uses the vehicle to run errands. They reported it stolen the morning Liv was chased. An hour later when officers arrived to make the report, the car was back in it's parking place. With a whole lot of damage. Including paint from a 2008 Toyota Camry, in Blue Ribbon Metallic."

"Olivia's car."

"Munch is there running over the footage from the parking garage now. And I am betting if we match the paint samples between the two cars, they will match."

"But is the Camry the only model that came in that color paint?"

"Only one model that sits at the right height to cause the damage we got. Plus we got the black paint on her car."

"That is enough to get me a warrant," Casey said from behind them. "Ballistics should be able to compare the damage between the cars. That with the paint. It will at least look good in court. Give me enough to cover your asses for the security tapes you pulled before the ink on the warrant was signed. You can't keep setting me up like this guys."

"This is Olivia we are talking about here Casey. Desperate times call for desperate measures. She is family. We do what we can do."

"Yes, but if you don't do it by the books then I can't make a case. It could blow a trial and her attacker could walk. Look, I am not saying that I don't support you one hundred percent in finding Liv and bringing her home safe. I am just asking that you give me a heads up before you do something illegal so I can at least prepare a defense to cover all of our asses, should we get caught."

Fin and Elliot both stared at her.

"Hey, we're a team. Besides, Olivia has saved my ass on more than one occasion. Now I get the change to help return the favor. I will do everything I can."

"Thanks Casey," Elliot said with a smile.

"How's the little guy?" She asked nodding in Noah's direction.

"Scared and confused. He's not the only one who misses his mommy."

"Poor little guy must have slept through the entire attack. That was real smart of Liv to hide him like that," Fin said.

"Hide him?" Casey asked.

"When we first arrived we thought this freak had taken the baby, too. Place was trashed and there was blood everywhere. Liv put up one hell of a fight. While we were searching the place for clues Munch heard the baby crying. Olivia must had hidden him before the perp gained entry. We found him lying in a pile of clean towels surrounded by pillows, in the cabinet under the bathroom sink. Attacker trashed the place, but he never found Noah."

Casey looked at Elliot as he turned his head back to look at his sleeping son.

"We're gonna find her Elliot," Fin assured him.

"I'm just worried it might already be too late," Elliot said as images of Olivia's blood soaked apartment flashed in his mind.


	18. 18 Misconception

_**Pretty Poison**_

_**(Chapter Eighteen: Misconception)**_

**It had been three long days since Olivia had been abducted and Elliot had not slept at all. Every time he closed his eyes the vision of her bloody hand flashed into his mind. He had to find her and bring her home safe. And if he didn't do it before too awful long he would be completely out of milk for Noah.**

**Kathy had been keeping the baby the last few days so that Elliot could help Munch and Fin lead the team on Olivia's case. She and the girls would bring him by each day for an hour or so for Elliot to see him and hold him and feed him a bottle. **

"**We got the report back on the car that was stolen from the hospital. The samples of blue pain we took from the car. Perfect match to Olivia's and the damage matches up as well. This was definitely the vehicle that tried to run Liv off the road," Fin said tossing a file onto the desk in front of Elliot.**

"**The car was dumped and wiped free of prints, but we have a face on the security video as it is leaving the garage. I have been showing it around to the hospital staff. This man," he said laying the photo from the security tape down in front of Elliot on the desk, "is Carl Madigan. He's been working as a janitor for the hospital. Madigan is a thirty eight year old parolee. Went to prison several years ago for killing his pregnant girlfriend when he found her in a hotel room with another man. He shot the man also. David Abrams, suffered two shots to the chest but survived. Madigan has been out of prison for just over a year now," Munch said. **

"**Just in time to start raping these women," Elliot said. **

"**His address on file is a P.O. box. The people at the mail service say they have no information on him. The box was set up for him when he got out of prison. He used to stay at this halfway house. The address his parole officer has on file is for an apartment that is now empty and has been for months. He has never been late for an appointment or caused any trouble so they didn't realize that he wasn't living there. Now one knows where he is staying now. But I've got someone on it. Next meeting with his parole officer is tomorrow afternoon."**

"**We need to be there. Wait for him and follow him back to where ever it is he is keeping her," Elliot suggested.**

"**There's more," Fin said. "The bloody finger prints from the wall at Olivia's apartment match the prints on file for Madigan. Problem is they are smeared up and not really clean. I don't think they would stand in court, not alone anyway. But he was definitely in her apartment."**

"**We have got to find this guy. We find him, we find Liv. God help him if he hurt her," Elliot said looking up at the guys.**

* * *

**That afternoon they followed Carl Madigan from his parole officer's office to a farm house fifteen miles outside the city. They watched and waited for any sign that this was where he was holding Olivia, but they had nothing.**

"**We got enough to take him for breaking the conditions of his parole. But that is it," Fin said holding the phone to his face. "Casey says if we can find something that proves without a doubt that this is where he is holding her then we can get a warrant to search the place."**

"**If we take him now for breaking parole we can't do the search?" Munch asked.**

"**We don't have enough to link him. Even with the fingerprints, there are no witnesses that put him in the apartment. We showed his photo to witnesses who saw the man enter her building with flowers, none of them could ID Madigan. We have to play this out just right or he stands a chance of getting off on a technicality. We have to be sure we have enough to take him down for her abduction and the rapes before we move in or we could blow the case against him. We get proof he is holding Olivia, we have our case." **

**Elliot stared into the house with binoculars. "If he has her in there and we jump the gun and move in too soon or tip him off, he could hurt her. He has already killed one woman, that is not a risk I am not willing to take. Lets keep a couple of uniforms on the place until we can move in."**

**It killed him to say it and to have to leave that place not knowing for sure if she were inside or if she was even alright. But he had to get back and find something to like Madigan to Olivia. Something more than a smeared handprint. **

* * *

**Olivia opened her eyes as she heard the boards above her head creak. The room was dark and she could hear the foot steps as someone walked down the stairs into the cellar where she was being held. She sat up on the cot and pulled her knees to her chest as she sat in the corner of the room as far as she could get from the door. **

**The door basement door made a harsh creaking as the man stepped inside. Olivia listened to the sounds of men's shoes as they walked in her direction across the concrete floor. She took a deep breath and could feel the pounding of her heart as the footsteps got closer and the door to the little room pushed slowly open.**

"**I brought you some food," the man said as he entered the room, "you must be starving." He stood in front of the door holding a plate and a bottle of water as he turned on a light.**

**Olivia shifted and stared blankly ahead.**

**He looked at her and sat the plate on the end of the bed in front of her.**

"**You should eat. Don't worry, it's clean. I didn't drug it or anything." **

**He reached out to touch her face, but she jerked away. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up to him stopping only inches from her face as he stared into her eyes. Olivia could feel her heart pounding and was scared to death. He raised is other hand to touch a bloody gash on her forehead. **

"**What do you want?" Olivia asked him.**

**His eyes were wild and his grip on her strong. Olivia had never been easily intimidated, but something about this man really scared her. **

"**I told you Jess, I just want to see my son."**

**Olivia wrinkled an eyebrow and looked at him. "Who's Jess?"**

"**Baby, don't be this way. I told you when you came to me and told me about the baby that I would take care of you. I love you. I want to take care of you both."**

**Olivia shook her head. What the Hell was going on here?**

"**I saw him. In the store with you while you were shopping. He's beautiful Jessie."**

"**I think you have me confused with someone else. My name is Olivia. You attacked me at my apartment."**

"**I am sorry. I would never do anything to hurt you Jessie, you know that. I just want to see him. He is my little boy."**

"**My son is my fiancé's baby. But if you will just let me help you….maybe we can find Jessie and your little boy. What is Jessie's last name?"**

**The man laughed and walked across the room. He leaned against the wall and watched Olivia. "I made that sandwich special for you. Turkey on wheat, lettuce and tomato. Your favorite, Jess. I even cut the crust off for you. It's good, try it."**

"**Thank you," she said picking up half the sandwich from the plate. She raised it to inspect it then took a small bite.**

"**I still have the picture you gave me," he began. "before you left, when you told me we were having a baby." He fumbled around in his pocket pulling out an early sonogram picture. "I had a feeling the baby was going to be a boy."**

"**Yeah," Olivia said softly.**

"**After you left, I searched for you. I even went back to our place. Our bar, in the hotel. I waited for you. I thought I saw you a few times, with one of your boyfriends. I would talk to her and she would smile, your smile. I have missed you so much. I wanted to find you. To see you and tell you how much I love you. But those men…. I was trying to protect you."**

"**You wanted to help Jessie?"**

"**Yes, I only wanted to keep those men from…. from doing those things to you. So I put the stuff in his drink."**

"**But you drugged the women, too."**

"**Jessie," he said grabbing her wrist, "I had to. I was trying to help those women from the things those men were about to do to them. Just like that man did to you. I walked in and he was…. on top of you, hurting you. Jess, I never meant to hurt you. I was trying to stop him."**

"**Jessie was raped?"**

"**The gun just went off baby, I swear."**

"**You were trying to stop the man raping her and you shot her?"**

**Olivia looked at him and saw the pain in his eyes.**

"**I thought you were dead, Jess. Until I saw you there. In our hotel. Sitting on the stool at the bar. You looked so beautiful. That man followed you back to your room, he was going to…. I gave him the drugs. But it didn't stop him. I couldn't stop him. I watched him do those things to you. I brought you here to protect you from him, Jessie and now you are safe. And we're going to be a family. You and me and the baby. Our baby, our little boy."**

"**Let me help you," Olivia offered.**

"**Where is he?"**

**She tipped her head and looked at him. **

"**Our baby boy, Jess. Where is he?"**

"**He's…." she thought for a moment and decided to try and spin this to her advantage, "with a friend. I should call and check on him."**

"**I can bring a phone down. You really should call and check on…. What's his name Jess?"**

"**Umm…." Olivia thought for a moment, there was no way in hell she was telling this man about her son. "Joey. His name is Joey. I really need to check on him. He is probably so scared."**

"**I'll go get the phone."**

**Ten minutes later the man returned handing her a cell phone. "Call and make sure Joey is alright," he said with a warm smile.**

"**Yeah," Olivia replied smiling back at him. She flipped open the phone and dialed the station house number. "Could I speak to Det….Elliot Stabler, please?"**

**Olivia waited patiently praying this would work. Minutes later she heard his voice come over the phone. "Detective Stabler," he said.**

"**Elliot," she gasped over the phone. "It's Liv….Jessie."**

"**Olivia? Are you okay? Baby, where are you?"**

"**I only have a minute," she said. "I was calling to check on the baby. How is Joey?"**

"**Olivia, try to stay on the line so I can get a trace."**

"**Is he okay?" She asked with tears in her eyes.**

"**He's good. He misses you. But he's alright. Honey, are you alright?"**

"**I'm fine," she said softly afraid to say too much. "I just want to come home," she whispered softly.**

"**I'm gonna bring you home sweetheart, just hang in there."**

"**Jess, it's using up daytime minutes."**

**Olivia cleared her throat. "I will be there as soon as I can to pick him up," she said as she stared at the stranger. "I have to go," she said as she laid the phone down beside her on the bed.**

**Elliot listened for a few more minutes as he waited for the trace to give them a location on the cell phone. But after about two minutes the phone lost signal and disconnected the call. What in the world was she caught up in?**

"**I got a location on that cell number Olivia called from," Fin announced as he rushed into the room grabbing his jacket. He nodded his head. "I told the uniforms to stand down until we get there. We got him. Location on the cell trace puts her in that house somewhere when the call was placed. I imagine that is why she called here instead of calling you cell."**

"**Easier trace and she knew the call would be recorded," Elliot said as he stood to follow fin out the door.**

"**Elliot, I don't think you need to be in on this." He turned around to see Cragen standing behind him. "I know how badly you want to find her, but you are too far inside this one. You should stay here. Let John and Fin take this."**

"**I promised her I would bring her home and I intend to keep that promise. I want to be there when she is found and make sure this freak pays for the things he has done to her and those other women."**

"**That is exactly what I am talking about, right there. You are too close to this. Not that I blame you, we all want to protect her and bring her home safe. It is just too dangerous. I cant have you losing your temper and harming this guy. We need him to prosecute. And your son needs you here."**

"**My son is with Kathy and the kids. He is being well taken care of and right now he needs his daddy to go and bring his mommy home. Noah and Olivia are my first concern, always. This is where I need to be. Let me do this. I love her and I need to be there for her. I can control my temper, just please let me help her."**

"**Alright. But I want your word, you control yourself and wont abuse the suspect. We need him in one piece. Shooting him on the spot may make you feel better but it wont bring justice for all of the other women he attacked."**

"**You have my word."**

"**Get going and bring her home safe."**

"**I intend to," Elliot replied as he walked out the door.**


	19. 19 Salvation

_**Pretty Poison**_

_**(Chapter Nineteen: Salvation)**_

**Olivia sat in a chair in the living room of the old farm house as the man paced the floor and asked her questions about the baby. She created a story and just kept going with it as she played along with the charade. Surely by now they had gotten a trace on the call and knew her location. Someone should be here shortly.**

"**I don't understand," she said looking at him. "I know why you drugged the men, but why drug the women? Why did you drug me?"**

"**No, I didn't drug them. The man drugged them. So he could do bad things to them. I tried to help them."**

"**You said that you…."**

"**I get confused. Mix things up. But I swear to you Jess I didn't do it. It was him. You believe me don't you?"**

**Olivia stared at him for a minute. "Of course I do. What happened in that hotel room the night Jessie….I was shot? I can't remember anything. Help me remember."**

**He took a deep breath and looked at her.**

"**We were supposed to meet for dinner. You had just found out you were pregnant, with Joey and we wanted to celebrate. But you got there before me and the restaurant was full so you waited at the bar for me. As I came in I saw you walking off with him. You were stumbling and acting strange."**

"**What did he look like?"**

"**He was tall with dark hair and eyes. Handsome. I don't remember much about him. They said his name was in court they said his name was David something. You took him up to our hotel room and by the time I got up there and inside the room, he had you half naked and pinned to the bed. He was raping you Jessie. You were asking him to stop and crying, but he just kept going. He had a gun and it was laying beside him on the night stand. I grabbed it and pulled it on him. I made him get out of bed and I was going to shoot him. But he came after me and we fought. Somehow in the struggle the gun went off and shot you. I went over and tried to wake you up. I held you and cried and begged you to wake up, but you didn't. I thought you were dead. I turned around and shot him. They arrested me and made me go to prison for killing you. I was in there for a long time. Shortly after I got out I saw in the paper about a rape that happened at that hotel. I knew it was the same man, but the police wouldn't listen. So I want and I followed him. I tried to stop him from doing to those women what he did to you. But each time I was too late. He was already hurting them before I could get into the room. Then one day I saw him with you. I watched the man watch you sit at the bar with you and have a few drinks with another guy. I saw him follow you up to your room and I knew what he was about to do. When I walked in he was sitting in a chair, touching himself while he watched you in bed with the other guy. A guy you probably never would have slept with if he hadn't drugged you. He got angry and I hit him. We had a scuffle and he left. When I went back inside the room you were kissing the man. Then I knew that you wanted to be with him. So I left too. I came back the next day to talk to you, but you had already left the hotel. Then a couple of weeks ago I saw you in the store with Joey. I followed you home to make sure you were safe, both of you. And I saw him there watching you. He was going to hurt you. I knew I had to get you out of there. I am sorry if I hurt you, but I had to get out of there. He would have found you and raped you if I had left you behind. I watched him. He had already been in your building, he was planning the attack. I tried to explain it, but you fought me and I had to drug you to get you to come with me. You have to believe me Jessie, I would never hurt you."**

**Olivia caught a flash of something outside the widow out the corner of her eye. She looked again to see a man move behind a tree in the yard. She knew by the way they were acting they were getting into position to enter through the back of the house. "I know you wouldn't hurt me." she said standing in front of him so he had his back to the window. "I was thinking," she said, "we should go pick Joey up now. You and me, together. That way you can see him."**

"**Now?"**

"**Well, it is time for me to pick him up. Don't you want to see him?"**

"**I do. I want to meet my son. You're right. Let's go." He stood up and took her hand in his. "Where is he?"**

"**My friends apartment, in the city."**

**The man nodded his head and lead her through the kitchen. As they walked through he picked up a large knife from the counter.**

"**What do you need that for?"**

"**Incase that David guy finds us. I have to be able to protect you and Joey."**

**Olivia looked worried, but knew that she wouldn't be able to talk him out of taking it. They walked through the house and out into the yard. David pulled a key ring from his pocket and pressed the alarm button to deactivate it from a few feet away.**

"**Hey," someone shouted from behind them and they both turned to see the officers surrounding them.**

"**Stay with me Jessie," he said pulling her against his chest and continuing to move toward the car. "I wont let them hurt you."**

"**No, put down the knife."**

"**I have to save you from them. I wont let them get you."**

"**Please, put down the knife," she said. "They think you are trying to hurt me."**

"**I wouldn't hurt you."**

"**But they don't know that." Olivia looked up at the large group of people circling in on them. "Don't shoot!" She yelled.**

**He held his arm tight around her upper chest and waved the knife around in front of him as they moved slowly toward the car.**

"**They are not going to hurt me. Just put down the knife and I know we will both get out of here safe. Please."**

**Olivia was scared of how this situation could possibly turn out and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes.**

"**We just have to get to the car, then we can get away," he replied.**

**As he turned to open the car door for her someone from the SWAT team fired a shot that hit him in the ribs. **

"**No!" Olivia screamed as her tears began to fall. **

**The man dropped the knife and fell to the ground beside her. Olivia knelt beside him and tried to slow the bleeding by applying pressure, but there was blood everywhere. He stared up into her eyes as he muttered sweet nothings to Jessie. **

"**I love you Jess, I always will. Give Joey a kiss for me and tell him daddy loves him."**

"**I will," Olivia whispered through her tears. "I need a bus!" She yelled over her shoulder looking at the team as they began to move in. "Just hang on, okay. Help is coming. We'll get you to a hospital and everything will be alright." By now her tears were two steady streams as they poured down her face. **

"**Are you alright ma'am?" One of the men from the team asked as he approached the scene.**

"**I'm fine," she said through tears. "He needs help."**

"**We have an ambulance on it's way."**

**Olivia watched as the man coughed and blood came out of his mouth.**

"**Lung shot," the SWAT guy said. "He's bleeding out."**

**Olivia looked up at the injured man on the ground as he gasped his last breath.**

"**You sons of bitches! You didn't have to shoot him! I was talking him down. He thought you were trying to hurt me! He was trying to protect me, not harm me! God!" Olivia pulled her hands away from the mans body and stared down at him as she cried.**

"**Liv?" She heard Elliot's voice behind her.**

"**El," she said as the tears streamed from her eyes. **

**Elliot dropped to the ground beside her and held her. "Are you hurt?"**

"**No," she whispered. "They didn't have to shoot him. I had it under control."**

"**Baby they did what they thought they had to do to save you."**

"**Elliot, he was sick. This wasn't his fault. He thought he was protecting me, Jessie from a man who raped her."**

"**Liv, who is Jessie?"**

"**She was his girlfriend. You don't understand."**

"**Olivia, I am going to take you over to the ambulance and have you checked out then we will go back to the station and talk about it. You can tell me everything then honey, but right now we need to get you checked out."**

"**El, Noah?"**

"**Noah is fine. He'll be really glad to see you though. Come on baby, lets go."**

**Olivia sat inside the back of the ambulance and watched as they loaded the body of her captor onto a gurney to wheel him away, as she did she couldn't help but cry. She felt guilty that in all of this she had lead the man to his death. In thinking the stand off would go down easier if they were outside she lead this obviously mentally disturbed man out the door and into the open. When the SWAT team had moved in to try and help Olivia, he thought they were trying to harm her and waved the knife around until he was shot.**

* * *

**Elliot walked her slowly back trough the bull pen and into the locker room. "I found some clothes in your locker. We need these, just in case. I thought you could go back and take a shower. I'm sure you'll feel better. Then I can order some food and we can talk. Tell me what exactly happened back there."**

**Olivia said nothing, she just nodded. She watched as he closed the locker room door locking it behind them.**

"**Can you stay in here with me?" She said softly as he turned on the water in the shower adjusting it for her. **

"**Sure. If that is what you want," he said raising the blood stained shirt over her head and dropping it into a plastic bag. **

**Elliot undressed her and bagged her clothing. He watched for a little while as she just stood under the heat of the water. She was in shock. **

**He stood up and undressed tossing his clothed onto the bench beside hers and grabbing another towel. He walked into the shower and looked into her eyes. Elliot brushed his thumb over the side of her cheek. "It's gonna be okay now," he said as she stared blankly at him.**

**He put some body wash on a wash cloth and smoothed it over her body. Olivia stared down at the drain watching as the stranger's blood was washed off of her and down the drain. He poured a dab of shampoo into his palm and soaped up her hair, massaging his fingers over her scalp.**

**Elliot backed Olivia under the hot water and rinsed away the soap suds from her body and hair then stood under the water with her and gazed into her eyes. "Are you alright?" **

"**I think so," she whispered softly as she began to cry once more.**

**Elliot gently kissed her lips and pulled her into his arms. He held her there under the water in his arms. "Tell me what he did to you," Elliot said.**

"**Nothing really. We struggled back at the apartment. But he didn't hurt me after that. I'll be okay."**

**Elliot kissed her gently. He pulled back and she leaned forward kissing him passionately. **

"**I missed you so much," she mumbled against his lips.**

"**I missed you too, angel."**

**She smoothed her hands over his chest as she kissed over the muscles she found there.**

"**Liv, baby we're at work."**

"**I just need to feel you," she whispered as she kissed the side of his neck and dragged her fingers up and down his spine sending chills through his body.**

**Elliot cupped the side of her face. He kissed her passionately as he backed her under the water and raised one of her knees against his hip allowing him entry. Olivia clawed her fingers up and down his back and moaned at he made love to her slowly and passionately, right there under the steamy shower in the locker room.**

"**I love you," Elliot said wrapping a towel around her and hugging her tight. He handed her another towel and watched as she used it to dry her hair.**

"**I love you too," she said as she smiled softly.**

**Elliot patted himself dry with a towel and pulled his boxers and pants back on. "I was so scared when I saw your apartment and realized he had taken you. I haven't slept since you were taken. And poor little Noah, he just doesn't understand it. I have been trying to get him to take formula and that has been a mess. He almost gone through all of the milk you had frozen for him. Kathy and the girls have been taking care of him while I was at work trying to find some kind of lead to bring you home."**

"**I have missed him so much," She said as she tied the string on her work out pants and pulled on a clean tee shirt."**

**Elliot kissed her again then picked up the plastic bags in the floor with her bloody clothes in them. "I'll see if Munch can take these to the lab. Then I'll order us some dinner and get us into an interrogation room. Well actually, Fin or someone will probably have to take your statement. When this is all finished up for the night, we'll go back to my place and get some rest."**

"**Sounds good," she said with a smile. **

**Elliot ordered them some Chinese food and after dinner Olivia sat in a room with Fin and Cragen and told them the details of her abduction. Se walked out of the room to see Maureen walking in with Noah's car seat in her hands.**

**Olivia smiled as Maureen sat the car seat on her desk. "Hi Olivia. Are you alright?"**

"**Yeah, honey. I'm fine. Just a little tired." She scooped her son up in her arms. Baby, mommy missed you so much." She kissed her son and held him tight against her as she rocked him in her arms. **

**Noah looked up at his mother and cooed and grunted his greeting to her.**

"**My little man," she said hugging him and kissing his forehead. "Mommy loves you. Yes, I do." She raised Noah up to look at him as he cooed and smiled and drooled. "I know what you need," she said with a smile. **

"**Well, I have to get going. I have a big test to study for. I just wanted to stop by and see Liv and bring this little guy back to his mommy. By buddy," Maureen said kissing Noah's forehead as she tugged on his little foot. "Bye Liv, I'm really glad that you're alright," Maureen said leaning in to hug Olivia.**

"**Thank you sweetheart. And thank you for taking such good care of Noah for me while I was gone."**

"**He's my brother. We Stabler kids look out for one another."**

"**He's lucky to have such great big brothers and sisters."**

"**We're lucky to have him. Bye daddy, I will see you guys Sunday for church, right?"**

"**Sure baby. See you Sunday." Elliot waved to his oldest daughter as she stepped into the elevator.**

"**Can you cover me for a few minutes?" Olivia asked. "I'm gonna try to feed your son."**

"**Yeah, I can handle things in here for a little while. You go bond with your baby."**

"**Thanks, El."**

**She turned to walk toward the cribs with Noah. **

"**Liv?"**

"**Yeah?" She asked looking over her shoulder.**

"**I love you."**

**She smiled and winked at him. "I love you, too."**


	20. 20 Recollection

_**Pretty Poison**_

_**(Chapter Twenty: Recollection)**_

**Olivia rolled over in the bed and opened her eyes. She felt Elliot's finger tip as it started at the base of her spine and traced slowly all the way up her bare back until it reached the back of her neck. Elliot rolled in against her and placed a soft kiss in the place where his finger had stopped.**

**Olivia laughed and smiled at him.**

"**I love you," he mouthed without sound.**

"**I love you," she mouthed in reply.**

**Elliot kissed her tenderly, then they made love once more. Afterward Elliot wrapped her tight in his arms as they watched the sunrise through Elliot's bedroom window. **

"**This is it, right here. This is as good as it gets," Elliot said with a smile.**

**Olivia smiled. "Sex in the morning?"**

**Elliot laughed. "That and just being here with you and our little boy. Knowing that you are both safe and warm and loved." He kissed her forehead. "I guess after almost losing you I realized exactly how lucky I really am. I mean I have always known it, but you really think about these things when this wonderful life you have made is threatened."**

"**Yeah," she said softly as she sat up.**

"**Where are you going?"**

"**I have to feed Noah," she said as she buttoned his shirt over her nude body. "Then I need to get to work."**

"**You are kidding me, right? We both finally have a weekend off and you want to work? Not to mention your son has not seen you in three days."**

"**I know that. I wont be long. Trust me, I want to be with Noah, too. But I am serious, El. I have to get to work on this while it is still all fresh in my head, before it gets too cold."**

"**Get to work on what?"**

"**This isn't over, Elliot. If I am right, and I am pretty sure I am Carl Madigan wasn't the rapist."**

"**Liv, we have finger prints and hair samples that put him in the hotel during each of the attacks and his bloody hand print on the wall of your apartment."**

"**He said he didn't hurt them. He was trying to protect them."**

"**And you believe him?"**

"**He didn't hurt me."**

"**Then how did your blood end up all over the apartment?"**

"**I fought him off. I posed a threat and he was defending himself. We kind of beat each other up. He was trying to protect me. He said the other guy was following me and he had seen him in my building. That is why he took me, to prevent this other guy from raping me."**

"**He still hurt you."**

"**Elliot, he was sick."**

**That is an understatement!"**

"**No, I mean mentally something was wrong. I'm not sure what. At the apartment he called me by my name. But he talked about our son, our baby. But back at his farm house he called me Jessie. Like he was living in the past. Something about me triggered a memory and took him back to that time with Jessie."**

"**Liv, who the Hell is Jessie?"**

"**The girlfriend. She was pregnant. And the other man raped her. Our rapist raped her. We have to find him."**

"**The dead girlfriend?"**

"**Yes."**

"**As in the one he murdered?"**

"**It was accidental. He walked in on that man raping her. He got the gun and tried to shoot the rapist, David somebody…"**

"**David Abrams?"**

"**Yes. He raped Jessie and Carl walked in on it. Carl tried to shoot David Abrams and there was a struggle. The gun went off and shot Jessie. It was accidental. She died and he went to prison. When he got out he realized that Abrams was still doing this. He was going after Abrams to try and stop him from hurting these women."**

"**So if what you are saying it right, Jessie was the first victim?"**

"**I think so."**

"**So Abrams rapes Jessie, but he doesn't rape anyone else for the six years that Carl is in the pen for killing her? The he just happens to start it up again after Carl is released? It doesn't make sense, Liv. Our guy is a serial rapist. He wouldn't be able to stop for six years."**

"**Unless he was working somewhere else."**

**Elliot raised his eyes to look at her. **

"**Think about it El. With all of the media attention in this area it would make it hard for people not to recognize him, especially if he is working the same hotel. So maybe he goes somewhere else to find his victims."**

"**If that is the case then Jessie may not have been our first victim."**

"**You don't think she was?"**

"**It seemed too clean. He talked to her in the bar, drugged her and raped her. The only thing that wasn't clean about it was the fact that her boyfriend walked in on them and ruined it for him. I think he had raped before. But until that night he didn't involve the boyfriend or husband. I think that was a turning point for him and he started drugging the men as well to control them. Some of these women reported seeing only one man and some reported two."**

"**He was in all the room during all three of these attacks," she said puling the file from the nightstand and dropping it on the bed. "He gave me details from all four cases. I think maybe the woman just don't remember."**

"**You said there was only one man in the room with us."**

"**I said I only remember one. But he was there Elliot. He told me details about… about us and sex. He was there."**

"**But he wasn't the man who watched us while he…"**

"**No," she cut him off. "That was a different man. A dark haired man. And he touched me while we were making love." Olivia looked down at her watch. "I need to go in and talk to Warner. She should have our autopsy results by now. She said she would have it done first thing this morning."**

"**Nope," Elliot said kissing her lips. "You can't work this case, Liv. You are too personally involved. I'll go talk to Warner and you stay home and relax. Spend some time with your son. I have a uniform parked right outside."**

"**Is that really necessary?"**

"**If what this man is saying is true, then our rapist is still out there. And you are the only attack where he wasn't able to complete his mission. He is liable to try again. I am not taking that chance. You have a uniformed shadow until we get this guy off the street."**

"**I'm gonna go feed Noah and get some coffee started. Do you have time for breakfast before you go?"**

"**Baby, it is Saturday and technically my weekend off. I will make time for breakfast."**

**Olivia leaned across the bed and kissed him tenderly.**

"**Why don't you go ahead and get your shower, by the time you finish up your son will be fed and ready to start his day. Then daddy can play with him while mommy cooks breakfast for the grown ups."**

"**Sounds great."**

**She smiled, picked up Noah from the bassinette and headed toward the bedroom door. Elliot stood up naked from the bed and walked across the room to find clothes for after his shower. He turned and winked at Olivia from across the room and she blew him a kiss before she moved into the living room to change the baby and feed him.**

**Elliot entered the dining room and sat at the table to talk to her while she cooked breakfast. "I have something of yours," he said taunting her.**

"**You do. Would it possibly be my son?"**

"**That and this," he said pulling her diamond ring from his shirt pocket.**

**Olivia smiled and reached for it. "I didn't want him to get it. I wasn't sure if I would ever see it again if he got a hold of it."**

"**Munch found it under the sink beside Noah." Olivia watched as Elliot slipped it back onto her finger. "There," he said with a smile. "I have been holding it until I could put it back on your hand where it belongs."**

"**Thank you. I have really missed it. I have missed a lot of things."**

"**I should get going. I want to go talk to Warner and find out what Warner has for me. I'll be home in a few hours." **

**Elliot kissed her tenderly then kissed his son.**

"**Daddy loves you buddy, be good for mommy. If you need me, call me. I will be right here."**

"**Okay," Olivia said smiling at him with her big brown eyes.**

"**I love you baby," Elliot said kissing her again.**

"**I love you, too."**


	21. 21 Impromptu

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Twenty One: Impromptu) _

Olivia had just laid Noah down for his nap when she heard the apartment door open.

"There you go little man," she whispered tucking the blanket around her sleeping son.

She walked to the living room as Elliot tossed his keys onto the counter.

"Hey handsome," Olivia said wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him tenderly.

"Hey baby. I spoke to Warner."

"And?" Olivia asked walking around the kitchen counter and pulling the stuff from the refrigerator to start dinner.

"And, she had a copy of Carl Madigan's medical file. He was Schizophrenic, Olivia."

"That makes sense. Then when he was with me he was probably having some sort of flash back or something and that is why he was confusing me for Jessie."

"I believe that this entire thing was some kind of episode. Even your kidnapping. But it doesn't change what he did, Olivia."

"It changes the reason behind it. Elliot, the man was delusional. He didn't fully understand what he was doing. This was his plea for help. His way of trying to get justice for Jessie and for her baby, his baby. And what about this other man, David Abrams?"

"I haven't heard anything on Abrams, yet."

Olivia sat two plates of food onto the table and poured them each a glass of tea.

"This whole thing is a big mess. The only person in the equation who isn't a victim is David Abrams." She exhaled and rubbed her fingertip against her temple.

"We'll figure it out. It is just going to take a little time, that's all. I think you should try to relax. You are too close to this."

"Incase you have forgotten, I was standing in the middle of it when Carl Madigan was killed. He was trying to get me to help him."

"Baby, there are people working this case. Including myself. I assure you the case is in good hands. I think you should relax and let me handle it from here. Try to distance yourself a bit. Start with a nice hot bath, maybe a few candles. I'll go run it for you."

Olivia smiled. "I need to clean this up and wake Noah up for his feeding. Play with him a little bit before I put him to bed. Then, maybe I will try to soak in a hot bath."

"Tell you what, why don't you go feed him. I'll do up the dinner dishes really quick and start you a nice hit bath. Noah and I can catch the last quarter of the game and give mommy some alone time. Then you will still have a little while to play with him before his bedtime. And after the little guy is sound asleep, maybe mommy and daddy can get a little alone time."

"I don't know, El. I am so tired."

"Liv, we don't have to have sex. We can just unwind together. I can give you a massage if you want. I just miss all the time we used to spend together."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"It isn't your fault baby. It is just that in the few days you have been back I have been so tied up with this case. I was thinking maybe I would take a personal day tomorrow and stay home with you and Noah. Just have a family day."

"Elliot, I am supposed to go back to work tomorrow. I have already arranged it with Cragen and Kathy has agreed to keep Noah."

"You can wait one more day, Olivia. I can call Kathy and let her know that you're gonna take another day. Come on, Olivia. I am talking about one day. Spend one day with me and Noah. We'll sleep in and I make you breakfast in bed. Then we can just lay around at home all day with our little boy. Please?"

Olivia smiled at him. "Okay, one more day. Then it is back to work. I need to get back to work, back to my life."

"Okay," Elliot said as he traced his fingertip down the side of her face. "I love you."

"I love you," she said as they heard Noah begin to stir over the baby monitor. "I'd better go feed our little boy."

* * *

The next morning Olivia woke to the gentle tap of rain against the bedroom window. Beside her Elliot laid smiling.

"What?" She asked softly.

"Just watching you sleep."

"I'm surprised your son hadn't woke me up yet."

"I gave him a bottle. Figured I'd let you rest."

"Oh," she said with a yawn.

"I also called Kathy and Cragen. And I have a wonderful idea."

Olivia sat up and combed her fingers through her hair. "You did, huh?"

"Marry me."

Olivia laughed and fanned her ring in his face. "I have already agreed to that."

"No. Olivia marry me."

She stared at him and waited for an explanation.

"Today. Marry me."

"Today?"

"Yes. Baby, I almost lost you. And it kills me to think that if I had we never would have been husband and wife. I love you, Olivia. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You, me and Noah. Forever. Let's do this."

"You don't want an actual wedding with friends and the kids?"

"I don't need a wedding. Just whatever makes it legal. All I need is you."

"You are serious?"

"Of course I am serious. Look, we could go to the courthouse and get married today. A private ceremony with you and I and a judge. Then later after we make the big announcement and we can have a large reception with the kids and all of our friends. Olivia, this is our wedding. It is about you and me, not some bid production or performance for everyone else."

Olivia laid back and pulled her billow over her face as she thought about it for a few minutes. She took a deep breath and moved the pillow to stare at Elliot.

"You want to do this today?"

"Yeah, I do. The sooner, the better. Spend the rest of the day back here consummating it. I could even get Kathy to keep Noah for a few hours, so we can be alone."

"Lets do it," she whispered with a smile.

"Lets do it," Elliot replied with a smile. "I want to do a few things first. I'll call Kathy and see about dropping him off. And we should go and pick out some rings. I can't believe we are finally going to do this."

"I can't wait," Olivia said with a smile.

"It is…just after seven now," Elliot said looking at his watch. "What do you say we go out for some breakfast and then head to the jewelry store and get the rings. We could be married by lunch time."

Olivia moved to Noah's bassinette and picked up her son. "Elliot, I don't want to drop him off until after. I want him to be there with us."

"He can be daddy's best man."

Olivia smiled. "I'm going to jump into the shower and then get him ready to go. I'll pack the diaper bag for Kathy, then we can head out."

* * *

Elliot parked the car in front of the jewelry store. Olivia carried Noah on her hip as they walked around and looked at the rings. They looked at dozens of beautiful wedding sets until they found the perfect rings.

They didn't have the woman's ring in Olivia's size so the man ordered it from another one of his stores across town. Elliot paid the man for their rings and agrees to return in two hours to pick them both up.

"Well," he said as they walked past a few shops looking in windows, "any idea what you want to do for the next two hours?"

"Actually," she said with a smile, "I have a few things I need to do. Why don't you take Noah and I will meet you back here in a little while?"

"Oh," he said with a smile, "alright."

Olivia laughed and kissed her baby boy. "You be good for daddy. Mommy will see you in a little while." She handed the baby off to Elliot and went on about her shopping.

Olivia focused on lingerie for her soon to be husband and their wedding night. Elliot, however had something else in mind. He loaded Noah back into the car and drove a few blocks to the flower market buying several roses. He picked up some candles and champagne and headed back to the apartment to prepare it for their arrival back home.

Two hours later he met up with Olivia in front of the jewelry store. They picked up their rings and headed across town to the courthouse.

Walking through the main lobby, Elliot spotted Casey. He grabbed Olivia's arm and they ducked around a corner just as Casey stepped into a court room. Olivia smiled and laughed as Elliot gave her a look like they had almost been caught.

"Coast is clear," he whispered as they headed for the elevator.

"The woman at the main desk said we need to go to the fourth floor and fill out some paperwork first," Olivia said as the elevator doors closed.

"Fourth floor it is."

Half an hour later they wondered around the hallway looking for the judges chambers.

"Here," Elliot said tapping gently on the door.

"Come in," a muffled voice called from inside.

Elliot opened the door as they stepped inside.

"Detectives, how can I help you?" A familiar voice asked.

"Actually Judge Donnelly, we were hoping you could perform a quick marriage ceremony for us." Elliot stood there staring at the woman waiting for a response.

"For you? The two of you? Marry you, to each other?"

"Yes," Olivia answered.

Judge Donnelly smiled. "Well, first of all I guess congratulations are in order." She stared at Noah for a few minutes. "He is adorable."

"Thank you," Olivia said with a smile.

"You do realize that I am a trial judge? I don't perform this type of ceremony."

"Well, we looked but we couldn't find another judge. A few of them are in court and two are our sick, one on vacation and that brings us to you," Olivia said looking at her.

She looked at them for a moment still shocked at their request.

"You can't do it?" Elliot asked.

"Oh, I can. It has just been quite a while since I had received this kind of request. Do you have the paperwork?"

"Right here," Elliot said laying it on the desk in front of her.

"Everything appears to be in order here. Witnesses?" She asked looking at them. "He is not quite old enough just yet."

"Oh," Elliot said looking at Olivia. "I didn't think about that part." He walked to the door and stepped into the hallway. He caught another judge and his secretary returning from their lunch and requested their presence.

Olivia sat Noah in his carrier and turned him so he could watch the ceremony. She faced Elliot as they repeated a few vows and kissed tenderly. A few signatures later, they were man and wife.

After the ceremony they drove to Queens to drop Noah off with Kathy, but decided to keep their happy news a secret, just a bit longer. Olivia kissed her son goodbye and climbed back into the car.

"I was thinking tonight we could order in from that great Italian place across town. A nice romantic dinner at home to celebrate. Kathy said she would bring Noah home when ever we are ready, just give her a call." Elliot stared across the car at her as she gazed down at her rings. "I love you so much, Olivia Stabler."

He watched as a smile crossed her face and she turned her sparkling eyes to look into his. "I love you too, my husband." She was quiet for another minute then spoke softly. "How do you think the guys at work will take it?"

"Alright, I guess."

"You think it will bother them having two Detective Stabler's around the precinct?"

"I think they'll get used to it. I know I am already."

Olivia turned in her seat and laid her head against his shoulder.

"I love you so much," she said brushing her nose against his cheek and nibbling at his ear. "When we get home I will have to show you just how much," she said playfully twisting his tie in her fingers. She kissed softly against the side of his neck and loosened his tie.

"Liv, baby. You can't do this here. I just ran a red light and I am trying to keep from speeding. You are going to get me into trouble."

Olivia laughed playfully and moved back to her own seat. "Sorry."

"Oh, as soon as we get home baby, I promise. But you sitting over here and doing what you were doing makes it really hard to focus on driving. I am liable to get pulled over or cause a wreck or something. It just isn't safe."

"I could see why it wouldn't be safe to drive with sex on your mind."

"No baby, my mind wasn't the problem." Elliot locked his fingers in hers and placed her hand over the hard bulge in his pants. "Infact, if this weren't going to be our first time as husband and wife I would probably jump you in the parking garage."

Olivia laughed. "Maybe some other time," she said raising an eyebrow.

* * *

Back at the apartment the door flew open and Olivia dropped her shopping bags into the floor. Elliot kissed her passionately and fumbled with the button on her jeans as he moved her toward the bedroom, before finally giving up and carrying her. Olivia laughed as he dropped her onto the bed and pulled her jeans off tossing them aside.

He kissed up her body pulling her shirt over her head and dropping it from the bed as well. Moments later they were both completely naked and moaning loudly.

Elliot stared into her eyes as he moved on top of her. His thrusts were firm and smooth, but relatively fast and she was loving every minute of it. The look in her eyes begged him for more.

Olivia clawed at his back and moaned against his mouth as every touch sent chills through her body. She tipped her head back and tried, out of respect for their neighbors, not to scream out in ecstasy as they finished together. Elliot groaned and growled as he fell over her body kissing across her collarbone.

"I love you," she said softly.

"I love you, too."

Olivia gasped for air and stared into his eyes as she began to laugh.

"What is so funny?" He asked nipping at the side of her neck.

She smiled and pressed her forehead to his. "Look at this place. It is beautiful. Candles and roses and I bought sexy lingerie. And neither of us could wait long enough for me to change or you to light a few candles."

Elliot smiled as he kissed her lips. "We have all afternoon," he whispered laying down beside her in complete exhaustion.

"We have our entire lives," she replied kissing him tenderly.

Elliot moved in against the warmth of her body. His curves matching hers and fitting like they were made to go together. He snaked his arms around her and nuzzled his nose against the side of her neck where they napped for a couple of hours to build up the energy for round two.


	22. 22 The Secret's Out

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Twenty Two: The Secret's Out)_

Olivia sat at her desk daydreaming as she stared down at her left hand ring finger remembering the gold band that was there the night before. After discussing the new status of their relationship, Elliot and Olivia decided to keep their vows just between them for a little while longer. She smiled as she looked up at the tall, dark, handsome man across the room that as of yesterday shared his life and his last name with her.

Elliot raised his eyes to catch her staring at him. He smiled and winked at the sexy brunette, who was now his wife. This was the way things should have been for a long time. This was what he should have done the moment he found out they were about to start a family together. Slipped a ring on her hand and claimed her as his own.

Olivia smiled and returned her attention to the stack of paperwork on the desk in front of her.

"Oh my God," Casey said as she stepped off the elevator.

Everyone in the room turned around to see what the commotion was about.

"So, I am at the court house getting ready to go to into court and happen to run in to Judge Donnelly. She strikes up conversation about performing a marriage ceremony in her office yesterday."

"That was nice of her," Olivia said trying to redirect the conversation and cut Casey off at the pass.

"I don't remember her exact words but the conversation went something like her saying I would never guess who she just married. I of course had no idea it was someone I was close to. I never would have guessed it was…."

"Umm…. Casey, Liv and I were just about to head to lunch. Why don't you join us and we can continue this fascinating conversation over a burger? My treat."

Casey laughed as she picked up her brief case from Olivia's desk. "Are you sure the two of you wouldn't rather dine alone. This is after all still your honeymoon."

Olivia's eyes shot open as she lowered her head to stare at her desk. She could feel every eye in the room as they all turned to her and Elliot. Elliot stood still and just stared at Casey with a big excited grin on her face. He felt a lump rising in his throat as the burn of his boss' stare beamed off the back of his head. The room was silent for a few moments as everyone waited for Elliot and Olivia to explain.

"I guess congratulations are in order," Cragen said patting Elliot on the shoulder.

"Thanks Captain," Elliot said smiling at Olivia. "If you will all excuse us, I'm going to take my wife to lunch." Elliot extended his hand to Olivia as she placed her palm in his. "Casey, the invitation stands if you'd like to join us," Elliot said as they walked toward the elevator.

* * *

Olivia stirred her salad with her fork while Casey and Elliot made small talk.

"I am so sorry you guys. I didn't realize that you were trying to keep this a secret."

"It's alright," Olivia said with a smile as she reached for Elliot's hand. "It was going to come out at some point. We had just decided to wait a little while and let it stay between us for a few days."

"I wasn't thinking. I am sure if would have been a lot better if your friends and coworkers had found out from you and not me. But it really is great news. I am happy for you guys."

"Thanks Casey," Elliot said as she stood from the table and picked up the bill.

"I'll leave you two for a little alone time, before you have to head back to work. Lunch is on me. It's the least I can do after blowing your secret. But, you guys might want to think about telling people. It's on file at the courthouse now. Newspaper offices have access to that information and run it as filler."

"We should tell Kathy and the kids," Olivia said looking at Elliot. "Before they read it in the paper."

"I'll call Kathy and ask her to meet us with the kids for dinner tonight."

* * *

"I talked to Kathy," Elliot said as they stepped into the elevator heading home for the day. "She is going to meet us at the restaurant in an hour with the kids. She's just going to bring Noah with them."

"That is good. Then we'll have enough time to go home and change before dinner. How do you think they will react?"

"Everything is going to be fine," Elliot said kissing his new bride. "You worry too much."

"I can't help but worry. They are kids, Elliot. This is going to change their entire world and we didn't even give them the courtesy of a phone call before we tied the knot."

"I am sure you are over reacting."

"Do you remember what happened the day we met with them so you could introduce them to Noah?"

"Kathleen is a drama queen. And she has come a long way in the six months since he was born."

"I know. But I don't want to be the reason any of the kids are upset."

"Baby, look at me." Elliot cupped his hand on the side of her face and stared into her eyes. "You are my wife now. And I love you. We are a family. You and me and Noah and the other kids and in some strange and distant way, Kathy too. Sometimes families struggle to get along, but they stick together and they make it through. Honestly I think they all probably had some kind of idea this would eventually happen. And it isn't like we have not spent time around them as a couple. We have dinner with hem once a week and take Noah and the kids to church almost every Sunday. We have had a family structure for a while now. All we did was say some words and sign some papers, buy a ring and make it legal." Elliot slipped his hand into hers and locked their fingers together. "You and I are exactly the same as we were two days ago. Only we have the same last name now. We _all_ have the same last name. It is going to be alright sweetheart."

* * *

Elliot and Olivia were sitting at the table when Kathy and the kids walked in. Olivia stood up and took her son from Kathy.

"There's mommy's big boy," she said bounding and kissing the baby with the big blue eyes. She kissed Noah again as he cooed and smiled at her. "Here's your daddy," she said pointing at Elliot.

"Hey little man," Elliot said taking his son from Olivia and kissing him. He pulled a wooden high chair up to the table between he and Olivia's and sat Noah in it handing him his pacifier.

"Dad, what's going on?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah dad, we usually have dinner on Tuesday night's," Dickie replied.

"Well, Olivia and I have a little announcement to make."

"Are you guys going to have another baby?" Maureen asked.

"Can it be a girl this time?" Elizabeth asked looking at Olivia.

"Guys, I'm not pregnant," Olivia said looking at the kids.

Elliot looked at her and smiled. He reached over and took her hand in his. "Liv and I got married yesterday."

Olivia waited nervously for some sort of reaction from them. Her eyes scanned the faces around the table. After a few seconds several smiles appeared.

"Really?" Elizabeth asked with a smile.

"Yeah really," Olivia answered raising her hand to reveal the gold wedding band.

"Congratulations," Kathy said with a smile.

"Yeah congratulations. Olivia, you are stuck with us now," Maureen laughed.

"I don't mind being stuck with you guys," Olivia said with a smile.

"Kathleen, you're awfully quiet." Elliot looked at her across the table.

She stared at him then looked up at Olivia as a smile spread across her face. "Congratulations. Welcome to the family, Olivia."

"Thank you honey," Olivia said smiling at her.

* * *

Olivia carried Noah into the nursery and sat down in the rocking chair to feed him a bottle before bed. She rocked him and hummed lullabies to him until he had fallen asleep.

"How's it going?" Elliot asked softly as he walked in.

"He just fell asleep," Olivia said with a smile as she stood up and carried the baby toward the crib.

"He's wore out," Elliot said kissing the top of his son's head.

Olivia laid Noah into his crib and tucked his blanket around him. She reached up and wound the mobile, to start the music. "Good night angel," she whispered through the bars of his crib.

They walked down the hall to their bedroom as she stepped out of her dress and slipped into a satin night gown. Olivia climbed into bed and began to read her book while Elliot took a shower.

He walked in and got into the bed. Olivia closed her book and turned off the light as she rolled over traced her fingers up and down his chest.

"You smell good," she purred against his ear.

Elliot laughed and put his arm around her. "I'm clean. I guess, I smell better."

"That aftershave smells so good," she whispered as she kissed him tenderly.

"You can thank Noah for that. He got it for daddy for father's day."

"Well, your son has great taste for a six month old," she laughed as she sat up and flipped one leg over his waist to straddle him.

Olivia leaned forward to kiss Elliot as he smoothed his hands under her gown to grasp her ass. "I think maybe my wife wants sex," he said tracing his fingertip over her jaw line and kissing her again.

"I think you're right," Olivia whispered as she stared seductively into his eyes.

"If my wife wants sex, my wife gets sex."

Olivia laughed as Elliot tugged her panties downward. She stood up over him in the bed as he pulled them down and she stepped out of them. She flipped her hair back and danced around above him for a few minutes before lowering herself back to him.

Elliot flipped her over dropping her onto the mattress and taking control. He moved down to her painted toenails, where he licked her toes as he massaged each foot. Olivia giggled softly as she watched him.

"That tickles," she whispered.

He kissed his way up the inside of her thigh. Elliot pushed her gown up and slid her body down the bed to him. He laid across the bed and moved her legs so one was on each side of him. He kissed softly down the inside of her thigh as Olivia moaned softly and looked down at him. Elliot reached his hands up each side of her body to lock his fingers in hers as he kissed her and flicked his tongue over her clit.

Olivia gasped and arched her back as he moved his tongue inside her. She moved one hand to comb her fingers through his thin hair and guide him as her legs rested on his shoulders.

"Oh God, Ellll," she gasped and he smiled at her inability to say his name.

"You like that?" He whispered.

"Yeah," she almost whined as she wrinkled up her nose at him.

He lifted her gown and kissed up her body, then took her left breast into his mouth nipping playfully at it and dragging his tongue over her hardened nipple. He kissed the small mole that resided there between the curves of her perfect body, underneath and just to the inside of her left breast. Then on to the right side, careful to provide it equal attention. She moaned and panted as she slipped out from under him, taking control once more.

Olivia pressed her lips to his and trailed kisses down his body, stopping at his waist. She traced her tongue over the lines of his abs then placed baby kisses around the elastic of his boxers. She slipped her hand under the waistband of his boxers and smiled up at him and she moved it up and down the length of his shaft.

Olivia pushed down his boxer shorts and traced her tongue over the head of his penis as she gazed up at him with her big brown eyes. She moaned softly and lowered her mouth down over his cock. She moved her mouth slowly up and down on him while slowly twisting one hand at the base of his penis and using the other to gently cup and massage his balls.

Within moments Elliot was about to explode. Olivia moaned seductively as she proceeded to give him the best blow job he ever had. Elliot tangled his fingers in her hair guiding her and moaned with her as he came in her mouth. She pressed her lips together as she laughed and smiled at him reaching for a condom from the night stand.

"You're not finished yet are you?" She asked sweetly as she opened the condom wrapper. "Because I'm just getting started."

Elliot watched as she placed the tip of the condom on her mouth, then lowered her mouth back down to his hard cock. She placed her mouth on the head of his dick and moved down pushing the condom down with her mouth. Elliot was a little shocked. Although it was incredibly hot, that was not something he would have ever expected from Olivia.

She laughed as she raised up and leaned forward to kiss him again. Elliot slipped his hands back under her satin slip of a gown and placed them on her amazing ass. He pulled her hips toward him positioning her above him as Olivia lowered her body down on his.

They both moaned softly as she moved slowly on him, grinding her hips and riding him. Elliot moved one hand up her abdomen to feel her right breast as he used the other hand to guide her hips harder into him. After several minutes of her riding him they were both moaning.

Olivia tangled her fingers in her hair as she leaned back and moaned. They had sex all of the time, but it hadn't been this intense in a long time. She gasped until she could barely breathe then leaned forward to kiss him.

"I want to be on you," Elliot mumbled between kisses.

Olivia nodded and Elliot rolled them over, repositioning them back into the missionary position so that he was on top of her. He slid back inside of her and listened to the sound of her moans get louder as he thrust harder and faster.

Olivia moaned and gasped, "harder, harder." She clawed her fingernails down his back and bit his shoulder as he moved harder inside of her sending them both over the edge.

When they had finished Elliot fell over her body and just laid there for a moment while they both tried to catch their breath. Elliot rolled over beside her in the bed and Olivia scooted up to him as she peppered his chest with baby kisses.

"I think that was the single most satisfying sexual experience of my life," she said with a smile.

"It was amazing. And we have only been married for two days. We still have the rest of our lives to look forward to."

Olivia smiled and kissed him as she settled in against his chest. "You know, we are still newlyweds. Technically we should be on our honeymoon."

"Baby as soon as all of this blows over and he is big enough we feel comfortable leaving him over night, I promise to give you a real honeymoon."

"Does it scare you?" Olivia whispered as she leaned down to kiss him. "The thought of us forever."

"No, Olivia. I could not think of another person I would want to promise forever to. But with you it is just comes natural. I want to love you and hold you and protect you and make love to you every day for the rest of my life. And now I can. Best decision I ever made."

Olivia smiled and kissed him tenderly. "I love you, Elliot."

"I love you too, baby."

Elliot sat up and picked up his boxers from the floor. He headed to the bathroom to clean up, then went to check on little Noah before settling into bed beside his beautiful wife for the night.


	23. 23 Someday Soon

_**Note To Readers: **_

_**I am sorry it has taken me so long to update this story and I know this is really short. Honestly, I need to go back and re-read it again and try to remember where this one was headed. I will try to get it going in some direction again soon. But now that I have a little bit of a break before the next semester of school starts, I hope to get the time to get caught up on updating some of my stories. Thank you all for being so patient!**_

_**~Detective Olivia Stabler ~**_

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Twenty Three: Someday Soon)_

"I don't know about this," Olivia said holding a stack of shirts in her hand as she stared over at little Noah standing at the coffee table playing with a stack of blocks.

"Liv, it is two days."

"Two days and two nights. We have never left him over night before."

"Baby," Elliot said slipping his arms around her waist and kissing the side of her neck, "Kathy has raised five children from start to finish, I think she can handle this little guy for a couple of days. And we are only going to be two hours away. We can call a hundred times to check on him if you want, I have already warned Kathy we will. And if for some reason we feel the need to come back and pick him up, it is just a couple hour drive."

"I know I am the lame mommy who is afraid to let her little boy grow up, Elliot. But he is my baby, our baby. He is barely seven months old."

"Seven months old, Liv. He isn't a little baby anymore, but he will never become a big boy if we don't give him a little breathing room."

"Seven months old, Elliot. He has mastered crawling, he is starting to form single syllable words and he pulls himself up to the table and stands there all by himself to play. Like you said, he isn't a little baby anymore. And any day now he could take his first steps and if we are off on some stupid romantic getaway, I will never forget myself!"

"Stupid? We have been planning this trip since the day we were married. This is supposed to be practice for our real honeymoon. Mexico in three months. Remember? The one we already booked….and paid for?"

"I remember. And I really want to go. But I hate feeling like I have to choose between neglecting my baby and neglecting my husband. I am either a bad wife or a bad mother, or maybe I'm both."

"You're not either! You are an excellent mother and a great wife. I understand what you are trying to say, Liv. But you need a break. Just a few days away for yourself, for us. Some grown up time for mommy and daddy."

"And you would be alright if we missed his first steps?"

"Honey, Kathleen walked at nine months. The twins didn't walk until they were almost a year old and Eli was eleven months old."

Olivia looked confused.

"My point is that he is barely seven months old. Most babies don't take their first unassisted steps until they are between nine and twelve months old."

"He got his first tooth when he was four months old. He said his first word when he was five months old. He seems to do everything ahead of schedule and this just isn't something I want to miss out on. You have been here before. Five times, before and this is nothing new to you. But it is all new to me. He is the only baby I have. He is my world, my life and I cannot, not be there for him during the biggest moments of his life."

"I understand."

"What about Maureen?"

"Huh?" he asked looking up at her.

"Kathleen was nine months, the twins were almost a year, Eli walked at eleven months, what about Maureen?"

"Maureen was…." he stopped and looked at her, "seven months old when she started walking."

"Elliot…."

"He may not be my first baby, Olivia, but he has been the first one I have actually been there with. I wasn't there when the other kids got their first tooth or said first words or….took their first steps. I was working, always working. And that is something I have regretted that every day sense."

Elliot looked over at Noah with his sandy blonde hair and the pacifier in his mouth as the stood next to the coffee table and played with his blocks.

"Maybe we should postpone the trip for a little while," Olivia suggested as she smoothed her hand over his shoulder.

"No way. I promised my wife a romantic weekend away and she is going to get one," he said as he picked up his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Elliot, what are you doing?" she asked as he held up his palm to her.

"Maureen, it's dad. Hey, what are you doing this weekend?"

Olivia watched confused.

"How would you like to make a hundred bucks?" Elliot asked his oldest daughter. "Liv and I are going away this weekend and I want you to come along to help out with your brother. You can? Great honey, thank you."

"Elliot?" Olivia laughed. "How romantic is this trip going to be if we have two of the kids with us?"

"Maureen can stay in her own room, down the hall, with the baby. If she needs us we will be just a few feet away….if _he _needs us we will be just a few feet away. And we won't miss a moment of his important life."

Olivia smiled and laughed as she kissed her husband.

"You are the most remarkable man I have ever known. And I hope that our son grows up to be just like his daddy," she said with a smile.

Elliot hugged her and kissed her tenderly.

"Now, go get packed. We leave out first thing in the morning. I'm gonna call Kathy and let her know that we will not be needing her services. Then I will start packing a bag for the baby."

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"And you sir," Elliot said picking up his youngest child, "you have three months to start walking. Mommy can't miss that or the big honeymoon or she will never forgive me. So get to stepping, little man."

Noah giggled and smiled at his father.

"Daa," he squealed pulling his pacifier from his mouth to kiss his father.

"Let's get you changed," he said carrying Noah to the nursery.

"Are you ready for this?" Elliot asked as he climbed into bed beside his wife.

Olivia looked over at him and smiled.

"Yup, we're all packed and ready to go."

"That isn't what I meant. Are you ready for this little getaway?"

"Of course. It will be nice to get away from work for a few days."

"We should try to take a little time away from Noah, too."

"You want to spend the entire weekend down the hall from our son and not even see him?"

"Not the entire weekend. But I do think it is important for us to schedule time for you and I, maybe even spend the day alone together. Maureen can handle things with him and he will have tons of toys and cartoons to keep him occupied."

"I know what you are saying. And while I completely understand and even agree to a certain degree, I am pretty sure you are going to have to remind me every second of the day."

Elliot laughed.

"I can do that," Elliot agreed with a kiss. "Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight, El."

The next morning Elliot got them all checked into their hotel.

"Our room is about five rooms down from yours if you need anything," he told Maureen as he finished setting up the playpen for his son and handed her the room key.

"Okay, dad. I am sure we will be fine in here," she said smiling at Olivia. "And any time you guys want to check up on him, just come on over. I am going to spend a little bonding time with my baby brother. You guys go have a good vacation."

"We will baby, thanks," Elliot said pulling his wife from the room before she broke into tears.

"Bye sweetheart," Olivia cooed waving to her baby. "Bye bye, Noah."

Noah stood at the edge of his playpen and cooed as he waved to his mother.

"He is fine," Elliot said pushing the button to the elevator as she began to sniffle.

"I know he is. And he couldn't be in better hands. But I can't help it."

"Don't cry. It is like the first time you dropped him off with Kathy, it was hard to leave him, but it worked out fine and you will see him again in a few hours for dinner."

"Elliot, the first day I dropped him off with Kathy….I didn't even make it all the way back to the car before I broke into tears. And I don't know if it makes it better or worse that he doesn't cry for me when I leave him every day. He never has."

"That is a good thing. It means he is happy where you are leaving him and he feels safe. He doesn't know to cry for you, because he isn't afraid to be there without you. It may hurt a little that he doesn't cry out for you, but trust me it is much harder when they do."

"Really?"

"Try leaving for work at six o'clock in the morning dragging a kid on each leg and a crying toddler on your hip. All because they want daddy to stay home with them and play all day. Knowing there is nothing you would rather do in the world than to call in sick to play princess tea party."

Olivia smiled.

"And this will make it easier on him when he actually starts school. We had to bribe Kathleen to go to kindergarten for the first few weeks."

Olivia laughed.

"How did you do that?"

"We let her pick what she got to wear. She had this little pink dress with flowers on it and I swear she would have slept in it if Kathy would have let her. It was her favorite. She used to lay in the floor in front of the washing machine and cry the whole time it was washing."

"You let her wear the same dress every day?"

"When she came home from school she would put the dress on and play around the house in it. And every evening when daddy got home from work it was time for the princess tea party. Maureen would stand on a little stool to get water from the bathroom sink for tea and Kathleen would always spill it all over the table trying to pour it. They had these little plastic plates and little plastic scones. Sometimes Kathy would bring out cookies from the cookie jar….and I had a tea party with my two little princesses."

Olivia giggled.

"That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard."

"My point is, that once Kathleen got used to going to school, it wasn't so scary anymore. She didn't cry when she had to go and I didn't have to feel horrible for making her."

"I could just imagine you sitting at a tiny table drinking water from little pink tea cups," Olivia said with a smile.

"Hey, that was a lot easier than when they were about five and seven and wanted to play beauty shop."

"Beauty shop?" Olivia asked.

"Ironically one Saturday afternoon while I babysat and mommy went to the beauty shop. Maureen begged me to let her paint my nails."

"You didn't!"

"I did. Hot pink. And for a seven year old she did a pretty good job. Unfortunately, the nail polish wouldn't come completely off."

"Oh, no!"

"Yeah, I went to work with pink stained fingernails for about a week. After that they were only allowed to use the clear kind."

"You are such a great dad. And I can't wait until you have can make some of these memories with Noah."

"Noah isn't going to be playing tea party, Liv."

"No, but he can play catch with you. And you can teach him how to ride a bike."

"I plan to," Elliot said staring into her eyes as he kissed her. "But this is mommy's weekend. And I have an entire day planned out for us."

"You do?"

"Yes. First, breakfast by a waterfall," he said pointing across the indoor pool to one of the dining areas in the resort.

"That sounds nice."

"Then an entire day of his and hers spa treatments."

Olivia smiled.

"They have a spa?"

"Yes and we are going to spend the entire afternoon getting couples massages, manicures and pedicures, relaxing in the sauna and soaking in the hot tub. This is a vacation, after all."

"I don't even remember the last time I went on a real vacation."

"After today, you wont be able to say that anymore."

After Elliot treated his wife to a relaxing day at the spa, they called Maureen who came down and met them for dinner. When she arrived, Olivia scooped up Noah and kissed his chubby little cheeks like she hadn't seen him in weeks.

"Mommy missed you, baby."

Noah giggled as she raised his shirt to blow raspberries on his belly.

"Did we miss anything exciting today?" she asked Maureen.

"He had strained squash for lunch. But that was a little more gross than exciting."

Olivia laughed.

"He is waiting to walk until mommy and daddy are there. Aren't you buddy?" Elliot asked as Noah smiled at his father.

That evening Olivia sat in a chair in Maureen's room and read a story to her baby boy as he took his night time bottle. After he had fallen asleep she kissed him gently and tucked him into the little bed Elliot had mad him in the play pen.

"Good night my little prince," she whispered watching him suck on his pacifier as he slept.

They said their goodnights to their daughter and made their way back to their room for some much over due romantic time. That evening as she laid curled up in Elliot's arms she thought out loud.

"Our baby is growing up so fast. It seems like just last week you were taking me to the hospital to have him."

"I'm proud of you. I know how hard it was for you to stay in here with me while he is asleep in another hotel room, but you are doing it. And hopefully in a few months you will feel secure enough to leave him for a week and take this trip."

"I'm not going to cancel our honeymoon, I promise."

"That's good, because I have a few moves I have been saving up…."

Olivia laughed.

"But he is my only baby El and if I miss something big, I will never get that chance again."

"He doesn't have to be your only baby."

Olivia raised up and pulled the sheet against her body as she looked over at him.

"What do you mean? Do you want to have another baby?"

"Well, not right this moment. But someday soon, when he is a little bit older….if you would like to have another baby…."

"I would," she said with tears in her eyes. "I want to have another baby with you. I want him to have a sibling who is closer to his age. Eli is five….he'll be six this summer and by the time Noah is big enough to play with him, Eli probably wont really be that interested. He needs someone closer to his age. A brother."

"Or a sister," Elliot added.

"Or a sister," she said with a smile.

"You wanted another baby and didn't say anything to me about it?"

"I had never really thought about it until the last couple of days when we were talking about him walking and all of his firsts and I realized how much I wanted to do this all again."

"Well, this _is _our little mini honeymoon."

"Not right now. But soon. Maybe when he is about a year old, we could start trying for another baby. He would be almost two when the baby came and hopefully potty trained. And they will be close and always have each other to depend on. We never really talked about it, I guess I figured six kids was your limit."

"Liv, we already have six children. What is one more?"

She smiled and laughed as she laid back down in his arms and kissed him again.

"So we are going to have another baby?" she asked with a sparkle in her eyes.

"We are going to have another baby," Elliot repeated with a smile.


	24. 24 Fear

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know it has been a long time since I have updated and EVEN LONGER since I have updated this story, but I have had a lot going on in my personal life that just demanded my attention. I wrote so many chapters on this story then kind of lost track of where I was going with it. I have done some brainstorming and I think I have figured out exactly where I want to take it….so here we go! Thank you all for being so patient!**_

_**~ Detective Olivia Stabler ~**_

_Pretty Poison_

_(Chapter Twenty Four: Fear)_

Olivia shot upright in the darkness and gasped to catch her breath.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Elliot asked sitting up beside her and turning on the lamp next to the bed.

She was crying and soaked in a cold sweat. He cupped his hands against the sides of her face and stared deep into her eyes as she trembled in fear.

"Liv, baby?"

She shifted her eyes and blinked a couple of times before registering that he was even speaking to her.

"I saw him," she gulped suddenly feeling as if she were going to be sick.

"Saw who, sweetheart? It was just a dream. It was all just a bad dream. But you are awake now and you are safe. No one can hurt you anymore."

She smoothed her hands over her face as she caught her breath. Elliot leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine. It was just so real," she whispered as he wiped her tears away with his thumb.

"Why don't I get you some water?"

She shifted her sad eyes to look into his as she began to nod.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"I'll be right back," he replied kissing her tenderly and pulling the blankets up around her.

Olivia watched as he climbed from the bed and disappeared from the room. She shivered as her eyes scanned the room for anything that seem out of place. Rubbing her tired eyes she scrunched her toes in the carpet making her way to the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, then splashed her face with water.

"Here we go," Elliot replied returning to find the bedroom empty. "Liv?" he asked checking the bathroom before moving back out into the hall. "Are you sleep walking now?" he mumbled in confusion as he heard a muffled sound coming from the baby monitor.

He sat the glass of water on the night stand under the lamp and cautiously, slid his off duty weapon from the gun safe they had put there to prevent the kids from getting a hold of the gun.

"Daddy's coming buddy," he whispered hearing the baby whine and stir a bit over the monitor.

Elliot wasn't quite sure what was going on, but when it came to his wife and children he didn't take chances. He felt his heart pounding as he crept quietly down the hall and slipped into the nursery.

Still half asleep, Noah fussed a little and pushed himself up to look at Elliot.

"Liv?" Elliot whispered in the darkness, but she was nowhere to be found.

Noah reached out a little finger and pointed at Elliot as he whined. Elliot secured the room, then returned to the crib.

"I know, buddy. It's okay," Elliot whispered leaning over the side of the crib to hand the baby his pacifier.

Noah put it in his mouth and Elliot kissed his son. He shifted his attention to the hallway as he heard a clanking noise in the kitchen.

"You wait right here and be really quiet. Daddy will be right back. I have to go find mommy."

Noah blinked his big eyes and watched his father move back to the door. Elliot locked the handle on the nursery door, then pulled it shut behind him. If the bad feelings Olivia had been having lately had any truth to them, be was going to do everything in his power to keep his son from danger.

Just as he was about to reach the kitchen Olivia stepped around the corner in the dark and they both screamed.

"What the hell are you doing? Trying to shoot me?" she asked as she placed her hand against her chest to feel her heart pounding.

"You were gone. There was a noise. I thought someone was in the house."

"I live in the house, Elliot," she exclaimed reaching to pick up the bottle she had dropped in the floor. "Noah was awake. I came in here to make him a bottle," she said as Elliot turned on the kitchen light.

"In the dark?"

"I have done it a thousand times before and you never pulled a gun on me."

Elliot exhaled and smiled as he laid the gun on the counter.

"I don't know how I didn't pass you in the hall. I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said pulling her into his arms and holding her there for a moment. "I would never shoot you, you know that."

"Yea, I know that," she mocked as he kissed her.

"You have just had these bad feelings lately. And the nightmares. I came back into the bedroom and you were gone. I wasn't taking any chances. You weren't in the nursery, then I heard a commotion in here….what were you doing anyway."

"Someone left the cabinet door open again," she replied furrowing her brow at him in her best angry face. "I walked into it in the dark….again."

"Baby, I'm sorry," he replied kissing a red mark on her forehead. "I got chips out of there while I was watching the game. I pushed it shut, the latch must be messed up again and it isn't catching. I'll get it fixed, I promise."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," he agreed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just want to give the baby his bottle and get back to bed."

Elliot stepped back letting her pass him as he turned out the kitchen light.

"El, the door is stuck," she replied pushing against it as she turned the knob once more. "Maybe you should fix this, too."

"It's not stuck. I locked it."

"You lock your nine month old child in his room? I know he is into pretty much everything since he started walking, Elliot, but this is a little overboard. Don't you think?"

"I thought someone was in the house. I checked the nursery and it was clear. I figured this would at least slow down an intruder long enough for me to put a bullet in them."

"We don't have a key…." she barely got out as he returned from the kitchen with a piece of wire from the junk drawer.

Olivia watched as he slid the wire into the door handle and fidgeted around with it, then the door came right open.

"You have done this before?" she asked.

"The same kind of locks are on the doors at Kathy's. In the many years I owned that house, more than one of my children have locked themselves in a room and I had to do this to get them out."

Olivia smiled.

"Here baby," she said softly scooping up her son who was now standing at the side of his crib reaching out to them.

Changed his diaper, then kissed and cradled him in her arms for a moment before lowering him back into his bed.

"Good night, sweet boy," she whispered as she handed him his bottle and watched as his heavy eyes fell shut once more.

"So do you want to tell me about these dreams?" Elliot asked as they settled back into bed.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said as he slipped his arm around her waist.

"Baby, not talking about it has not made them go away. Maybe if I knew what had you so scared I could help you through this."

"Just, flashbacks, mostly. To that night in the apartment. The night that Carl Madigan took me."

"Liv, Carl Madigan is dead. He can never hurt you or Noah…or anyone for that matter….ever again."

"I know," she said in a hoarse whisper.

"You saw him…."

"What?" she asked staring into his eyes.

"That's what you said when you woke up. You said that you saw him. Liv, who did you see?"

He watched as tears rose in her eyes.

"The man….The man from the hotel room. The man who was there with Carl that night."

"Liv, Carl was crazy and we were drugged. They searched the room and there was no sign of another person in that room. Honey, for all we know there was no other man. Carl was probably just suffering from some kind of break."

"There was another man, Elliot. I saw him. And I saw him again tonight. I know he is real. I know he was there. I know, Elliot, because I had sex with him," she gasped as tears streamed down her face.

"Wha….you remember more about that night?"

"Only that I saw him then. His face. I remember seeing his face."

"I thought you said you were certain that he didn't rape you that night?"

"Everything was blurry and I only saw him clearly for a moment, Elliot, but I know he was the same man who was in the room that night."

"That night? Wait….Olivia, you saw him again? Where? When?"

He watched as she sobbed uncontrollably as if the dam holding back all of her emotions had finally broke and everything came flooding in at once.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I am so sorry, that I didn't tell you."

"Oh God," Elliot mumbled suddenly realizing what she was trying to tell him. "He came back for you, didn't he?"

She couldn't speak. Instead she just broke down and cried in his arms. Elliot held her tight and rocked her. He whispered tender and loving words to her as he began to cry himself.


End file.
